Physician adherence to preventive cardiology guidelines for women.

Despite the publication of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) "Guide to Preventive Cardiology for Women" primary care screening and treatment of women at risk for coronary heart disease risk is not optimal. The purpose of this article is to apply a framework of physician behavior to describe specific challenges in implementing clinical practice guidelines for women's cardiovascular health in the primary care setting. Specifically, we illustrate 1) underlying barriers to adherence, 2) attempts and interventions to overcome these barriers, and 3) future areas of research to improve physician adherence to guidelines for the prevention and treatment of heart disease in women.