Clinician-Patient Risk Discussion forAtherosclerotic Cardiovascular DiseasePrevention

Ma Successful implementation of the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cholesterol guidelines hinges on a clear understanding of the clinician-patient risk discussion (CPRD). This is a dialogue between the clinician and patient about potential for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk reduction benefits, adverse effects, drug-drug interactions, and patient preferences. Designed especially for primary prevention patients, this process of shared decisionmaking establishes the appropriateness of a statin for a specific patient. CPRD respects the autonomy of an individual striving to make an informed choice alignedwith personal values and preferences. Dedicating sufficient time tohigh-quality CPRDoffers an opportunity to strengthen clinician-patient relationships, patient engagement, and medication adherence. We review the guideline-recommended CPRD, the general concept of shared decision making and decision aids, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Risk Estimator application as an implementation tool, and address potential barriers to implementation. (J Am Coll Cardiol 2015;65:1361–8) © 2015 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.