ANNUAL REVIEW OF PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY
September 7, 2016 PMID: 27618738 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010716-104952

Lavoie KL, Rash JA, Campbell TS

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ABSTRACT

Widespread acceptance of evidence-based medicine has led to the proliferation of clinical practice guidelines as the primary mode of communicating current best practices across a range of chronic diseases. Despite overwhelming evidence supporting the benefits of their use, there is a long history of poor uptake by providers. Nonadherence to clinical practice guidelines is referred to as clinical inertia and represents provider failure to initiate or intensify treatment despite a clear indication to do so. Here we review evidence for the ubiquity of clinical inertia across a variety of chronic health conditions, as well as the organizational and system, patient, and provider factors that serve to maintain it. Limitations are highlighted in the emerging literature examining interventions to reduce clinical inertia. An evidence-based framework to address these limitations is proposed that uses behavior change theory and advocates for shared decision making and enhanced guideline development and dissemination.

Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology Volume 57 is January 06, 2017. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.