In China, cardiovascular disease is a public health burden, largely due to its prevalence among the aging population. In 2010, an estimated 8.1 million individuals in China were affected by coronary heart disease. The growing number of individuals affected by cardiovascular disease is predicted to increase to 22.6 million by 2030.
The China Government's 2020 Objectives for Improving Patient Care in the Aging Population are to:
- Increase average life expectancy for all Chinese citizens by one year
- Decrease stroke mortality by five percent
- Promote cardiovascular diagnosis and improve living standard for the broader population
To address the challenges that patients with cardiovascular disease in China face, Pfizer is working with organizations in the public and private sectors on educational initiatives, policy activities and large-scale pilot programs.
One example is a dyslipidemia management initiative called KEEP (Key Cardiovascular Risk Factor Education and Extension Program). Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and this program works to provide real-world evidence and advocacy for the enhancement of national policies that support comprehensive lipid screening and management in community clinics.
As part of KEEP, we are providing grants to support widespread public education, health care practitioner training and patient education across China. We are also working to encourage the government to support the incorporation of cholesterol management into national policy. By providing details of a study that underscores the disease burden, developing easy-to-implement tools and conducting feasibility pilots, we are building a strong body of evidence to support this policy goal. To date, there have been three pilot initiatives in priority cities including Beijing (an estimated 27,000 patients), Hangzhou (an estimated 27,000 patients) and Shenzhen (an estimated 15,000 patients). Each of these pilots implemented a program to train general practitioners on risk factors and guidelines for dyslipidemia management in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease to help speed diagnosis and guideline-based treatment to reduce disease progression.
Successful Beijing Pilot Program Yields Significant Results in the Community
- Launched in 35 community centers and trained 500 community health service providers
- Evaluated and comprehensively managed 27,660 high cardiovascular-risk patients on risk factors according to guidelines
- Introduced comprehensive management approaches, including the Clinical Decision Support System clinical pathway, key performance indicators and customized training, which largely reduced repeated work for community doctors and increased standard treatment rate
KEEP is supported by the Pfizer Medical team in China through grants from Pfizer Independent Grants for Learning and Change (IGLC) and spearheaded by the International Health Exchange and Cooperating Committee of the China National Health and Family Planning Commission, formerly known as Ministry of Health.
Providing Real Solutions for Patients in China
A second program being supported by Pfizer IGLC in order to help reduce cardiovascular disease in China is called Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China (CCC). It is based on an initiative developed originally in the United States by the American Heart Association called Get with the Guidelines and is being spearheaded in China by the Chinese Society of Cardiology. There is a gap between guideline recommendations for treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and application of these recommendations in clinical practice in China. CCC is a novel quality-enhancement registry that uses data collection, performance management and rapid optimization techniques to help health care providers bridge this gap and accelerate the proper treatment of ACS patients. Care is tracked in the registry from admission through hospital discharge, performance measures are used to ensure guideline-based care, and patients are provided with cardiovascular education and supportive materials. The program has been well received by cardiologists and hospitals and has been implemented in 150 major hospitals across mainland China.
Keeping Cholesterol Top-of-Mind with Chinese Patients and Public
Pfizer has committed to support cardiovascular diseases control and prevention programs in China and will continue to work toward bending the mortality curve of cardiovascular diseases in cooperation with health authorities, medical communities and media.
Since 2014, the China Public Health Media Education Program (CHEER), supported by Pfizer IGLC and jointly initiated by China National Health and Family Planning Commission (the former Ministry of Health), China Health Education Center and China Journalists Association, has built a bridge across government, health care professionals, media, people with cardiovascular diseases and the public, in order to raise public awareness of cholesterol management. The CHEER program has been successfully conducted in 11 provinces, reaching nearly 300 million people.
Based on its success and contribution to public education and health, the CHEER program was recognized as a best practice of health education at the 9th Global Conference of Health Promotion in Shanghai.
