Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01734135

Provider Notification for High B-type Natriuretic Peptide Values

This proposal examines use of a clinical reminder to the primary provider of patient with a high B type natriuretic peptide but no prior imaging.

Electrical Medical Record-based Intervention to Determine whether Clinical Reminders Improve Heart Failure Management in Patients with High BNP Values and Unknown LVEF.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Heart Failure Cardiovascular Diseases Heart Diseases

Age range

18 year–120 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

VA Palo Alto Health Care System

Palo Alto, California, 94304, United States

About this study

Rationale: B type natriuretic peptide is known to be elevated (> 100 pg/ml) in patients with heart failure. Furthermore, treatments are available to improve survival and reduce hospitalization if the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is < 40%. Accordingly, guidelines recommend an LVEF measure for patients with suspected heart failure. Prior work has demonstrated that patients with high BNP values do not always have a measure of left ventricular ejection.

Hypothesis: A reminder to patients with BNP and no imaging may prompt providers to order appropriate imaging potentially leading to 1) identification of unsuspected depressed ejection fraction and 2) more appropriate treatment.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • BNP >= 200 pg/ml in last 2 months

Exclusion criteria

  • Measure of LVEF in the last 12 months
  • Last measure of LVEF < 40%

Treatment and study plan

Clinical Reminder

Other

A note is sent to the primary care provider using the electronic medical record indicating the high BNP result and potential benefit of measurement of the left ventricular ejection fraction. A draft order is placed for an echocardiogram for the provider to accept or delete.

Primary outcomes

  1. Measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction

    Time frame: 6 months after randomization

    numerator: Measurement of left ventricular ejection fraction within 6 months of randomization.

    denominator: All randomized patients

Secondary outcomes

  1. Identification of LVEF < 40%

    Time frame: 6 months following randomizaiton

    Numerator: number of patients identified with an LVEF< 40% Denominator: all randomized patients

  2. Treatment of Low LVEF

    Time frame: 6 months following randomization

    Numerator: number of patients with an LVEF < 40% and treatment with either an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, angiotensin receptor blocker or evidence based beta-blocker (carvedilol, metoprolol succinate, bisoprolol).

    Denominator: all randomized patients.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

VA Palo Alto Health Care System

Fed

Registry information

Official study title

Trial of Provider Notification for Patients With High B-type Natriuretic Peptide and no Imaging to Identify Unsuspected Heart Failure.

Important dates

Study start
2010
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2015
First posted
Nov 27, 2012
Registry last updated
Sep 19, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.