Landmark Initiative Dramatically Increases Heart Failure Treatment Adherence Across U.S. Hospitals
TL;DR
Participation in the American Heart Association's IMPLEMENT-HF™ initiative significantly improves adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy for heart failure, giving hospitals a competitive advantage.
The initiative aims to increase uptake of quadruple medical therapy, consisting of ARNI, BB, MRA, and SGLT2i, proven to reduce mortality for HFrEF patients.
IMPLEMENT-HF enhances patient care by improving treatment adherence, especially among underrepresented populations, ultimately striving for equitable access to life-saving medications.
A new analysis in Circulation: Heart Failure shows hospitals participating in IMPLEMENT-HF dramatically increased the use of tools to assess patient's social needs, promoting more holistic care.
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A new analysis reveals a substantial increase in heart failure treatment adherence following the American Heart Association's multiregional quality improvement initiative. The IMPLEMENT-HF program, launched in 2021, focused on improving medical therapy for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a condition affecting nearly half of heart failure hospitalizations.
The study, published in Circulation: Heart Failure, examined data from more than 43,000 patients across 67 hospitals. Researchers found a dramatic rise in the use of quadruple medical therapy—a combination of four evidence-based drugs proven to reduce mortality—from 4.7% to 44.6% at hospital discharge and from 0% to 44.8% within 30 days post-discharge.
Notably, the improvements were consistent across race, ethnicity, and gender, addressing a critical gap in equitable healthcare delivery. HFrEF carries a 75% five-year mortality rate, making this initiative potentially life-saving for thousands of patients.
Dr. Andrew Sauer, a lead author of the research, emphasized the initiative's collaborative approach, which enabled hospitals to identify care gaps, share best practices, and monitor performance through a structured, "all-teach, all-learn" environment.
With heart failure expected to affect more than 8 million U.S. adults by 2030, this initiative represents a significant step toward improving treatment standards and patient outcomes. The American Heart Association's commitment to transforming care systems could potentially reduce mortality rates and improve quality of life for heart failure patients nationwide.
Curated from NewMediaWire
