Limitations
This post-hoc analysis is subject to physician selection and
participation bias, however, if the bias is operative in a similar
fashion for PCPs and specialists, our findings are balanced, though not
necessarily representative of the overall physician population.
Selection bias may have also resulted in the selection of physicians who
were interested in cholesterol lowering through their prior
participation in similar programs. If this selection bias was present
then our findings of the care gap are even more pronounced indicating
treatment inertia even among those more likely to be skilled in the art
of LDL-C lowering.