American Heart Association launching HCM initiative
HCM is a thickening of the left ventricle and is often underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed, AHA says.
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The American Heart Association, with initial funding from Bristol Myers Squibb, has launched a new three-year initiative to improve hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) systems of care and standardize how patients with HCM are identified, assessed, referred and treated.
HCM is a thickening of the lower main pumping chamber of the heart – the left ventricle. The disease is often underdiagnosed and inconsistently managed, the AHA said, leading to delayed treatment, increased risk of complications and preventable death.
It's a chronic disease that can get worse over time and lead to poorer quality of life and long-term complications, including atrial fibrillation, stroke and heart failure, the AHA said.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
The initiative includes the development of a national HCM registry to collect and analyze real-world data; a certification program to set standards of care for sites treating HCM patients; and an HCM care recognition program for U.S. sites that would pilot and validate data collection and HCM measurement with the registry to track adherence to evidence-based guidelines.
The initiative will also help develop an HCM Learning Collaborative, engaging sites in activities such as model sharing and national education activities, AHA said.
The new initiative will begin with 15 sites to pilot data collection and certification, with the goal of expanding to 60 sites. A volunteer American Heart Association Science Advisory Group will provide scientific expertise for development, maintenance and implementation of the registry, performance measures and recognition program.
"Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can be an insidious disease, with some people having no obvious symptoms, while others may only feel symptoms with exercise or exertion," said Dr. Andrew Wang, American Heart Association volunteer, cochair of the Association's HCM Science Advisory Group and president of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Medical Society, a collaborator on the initiative.
ON THE RECORD
"Building on our longstanding commitment to addressing the burden of cardiovascular disease, we are supporting the American Heart Association's initiative aimed at establishing a unified approach to care for patients living with HCM," said Cecilia Marta, vice president and head of U.S. Medical and Cardiovascular, Bristol Myers Squibb. "HCM can be a challenging disease to diagnose and manage, and we are dedicated to the goal of this initiative to improve outcomes for patients living with HCM."
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.
