Early assessment and management of risk factors is known to have significant impact\nin preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its associated burden. Cardiovascular disease\nrisk assessment and management (CVDRAM) is best approached by teamwork across health\ncare professionals. This study aimed at assessing health care students� (HCSs) knowledge about\nthe parameters needed for estimating CVD risk, their self-assessed preparedness/confidence and\nperceived barriers for the provision of CVDRAM services through a survey administered to third\nand fourth year pharmacy, medical, and nursing students in Qatar. Although all student cohorts\nachieved similar knowledge scores, less than half (n = 38, 47%) were able to identify all of the six\nmain risk factors necessary to estimate absolute CVD risk, and a third (32%) were unable to identify\ntotal cholesterol as an independent risk factor necessary to estimate CVD risk. Training on the use\nof CVD risk assessment tools differed among the three student cohorts. All student cohorts also\nperceived similar levels of preparedness in CVDRAM. However, pharmacy students reported the\nhighest preparedness/confidence with the use of the latest CVDRAM guidelines. The majority of\nstatements listed under the barriers scale were perceived by the students as being moderate (median\nscore = 3). Poor public acceptance or unawareness of importance of estimating CVD risk was the only\nbarrier perceived as a major by nursing students. Future integration of interprofessional educational\n(IPE) activities in the CVDRAM curricula of HCSs may be a suitable strategy to minimize barriers\nand foster collaborative practice for the provision of CVDRAM services in Qatar.
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