Outcomes of nurse practitioner-led care in patients with cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: To assess randomized controlled trials evaluating the impact of nurse practitioner-led cardiovascular care.

Background: Systematic review of nurse practitioner-led care in patients with cardiovascular disease has not been completed.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus and ProQuest were systematically searched for studies published between January 2007 - June 2017.

Review methods: Cochrane methodology was used for risk of bias, data extraction and meta-analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

Results: Out of 605 articles, five articles met the inclusion criteria. There was no statistical difference between nurse practitioner-led care and usual care for 30-day readmissions, health-related quality of life and length of stay. A 12% reduction in Framingham risk score was identified.

Conclusion: There are a few randomized control trials assessing nurse practitioner-led cardiovascular care.

Impact: Low to moderate quality evidence was identified with no statistically significant associated outcomes of care. Nurse practitioner roles need to be supported to conduct and publish high-quality research.