OBJECTIVE:To quantify the extent and determinants of underutilization of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors for patients with congestive heart failure, especially with respect to physician specialty and clinical indication.
DESIGN:Survey of a national systematic sample of physicians.
PARTICIPANTS:Five hundred family practitioners, 500 general internists, and 500 cardiologists.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:Physicians' choice of medications were determined for four hypothetical patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction: (1) new-onset, symptomatic; (2) asymptomatic; (3) chronic heart failure, on digitalis and diuretic; and (4) asymptomatic, post-myocardial infarction. For each patient, randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that ACE inhibitors decrease mortality or the progression of symptoms. Among the 727 eligible physicians returning surveys (adjusted response rate 58%), approximately 90% used ACE inhibitors for patients with chronic heart failure who were already taking digitalis and a diuretic. However, family practitioners and general internists chose ACE inhibitors less frequently ( p Յ .01) than cardiologists for the other indications. Respective rates of ACE inhibitor use for each simulated patient were new-onset, symptomatic (family practitioners 72%, general internists 76%, cardiologists 86%); asymptomatic (family practitioners 68%, general internists 78%, cardiologists 93%); and asymptomatic, postmyocardial infarction (family practitioners 58%, general internists 70%, cardiologists 94%). Compared with generalists, cardiologists were more likely ( p Յ .05) to increase ACE inhibitors to a target dosage (45% vs 26%) and to tolerate systolic blood pressures of 90 mm Hg or less (43% vs 15%). he appropriate role of generalist and specialist physicians in the care of patients is controversial. 1 It is generally assumed that the sickest, most complicated patients, as well as patients with rare disorders, benefit most from specialty care. However, the majority of patients with chronic diseases such as heart failure, diabetes, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease initially are not severely ill, and are therefore first seen by the generalist physician. The most cost-effective threshold for specialty referral and the optimal mix of generalist and specialist care remain unknown. 2 Congestive heart failure is an ideal model to study variation in physicians' practice patterns among patients with chronic disease. This syndrome is common and presently the domain of both generalist and specialist physicians. Advances in cardiac transplantation and hemodynamically titrated therapy have made some of the sickest patients clear candidates for referral to cardiologists. 3 Recently, however, multicenter trials of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have modified the standard of treatment for a broad range of patients with heart failure. 4 These medications have been found to decrease mortality in patients with chronic heart failure and ejection fractions of 0.35 or less, 5 decrease...