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Cardiovascular Quality and Research News

ACC CV Quality SmartBrief

The ACC CV Quality SmartBrief eNewsletter is a free, twice-weekly briefing for health care stakeholders interested in quality care. Learn more about the ACC CV Quality SmartBrief and subscribe.

  • Health system implements measures to cut sepsis deaths

    The Providence health system reported an estimated 1,250 lives saved in 2023, and a significant reduction in related deaths over three years, as a result of improved sepsis care measures. Changes include increased use of a standardized order set for sepsis patients and a goal of antibiotic administration within an hour of the condition being identified. HealthLeaders Media (7/1) Learn More

  • Experts shed light on summer rise in COVID-19 cases

    Epidemiologist Dr. Jay Varma and Dr. Marc Siegel of NYU Langone Medical Center discuss what Americans should know about a summer uptick in SARS-CoV-2 cases. CDC estimates show that infections are "growing or likely growing" in at least 44 states and territories, but at the same time, hospitalizations and deaths remain relatively low. Varma noted that the summer increase "may be because the virus evolves at a frequency that aligns with the spring/summer -- or there could be other environmental factors that we do not understand well." Fox News (6/30) Learn More

  • Campaign aims to improve understanding of care quality

    A new National Association for Healthcare Quality awareness campaign called "The Power of Q" brings attention to the importance of quality activities at health facilities across the country. The campaign aims to establish a universal definition of care quality, clarify its role in patient interactions, and describe how to maintain it. Becker's Hospital Review (7/1) Learn More

  • Cardiology private equity acquisitions on the rise

    Nearly all private equity acquisitions of cardiology centers since 2013 have happened in just the past three years, and the clinics were most likely to be in high-income communities in southern and western states, researchers noted in JACC and at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting. Investigator Dr. Rishi Wadhera said in a statement that quality and cost concerns have been raised when other specialties have seen increases in private equity deals, so it is important to understand the impact within cardiology. Healio (free registration) (7/1) Learn More

  • Survey shows top challenges facing US physicians

    In the MedCentral survey titled "How Is Medical Practice Evolving," 864 US physicians shared their perspectives on current trends and challenges in health care, including administrative burden, evolving practice models and barriers to drug prescribing. Survey results in a slide show underscore shifting dynamics in medical practice and various hurdles that physicians encounter. Medical Economics (6/28) Learn More

  • Ultrasound shows older adults' hidden valvular HD

    A new study has found that over 25% of individuals ages 60 and older without heart disease history have asymptomatic valvular heart disease, revealed through echocardiography scans. The research, published in the European Heart Journal - Cardiovascular Imaging, indicates that 15 echocardiograms are required to detect one case of clinically relevant valvular disease in those ages 75 and older and highlights the prevalence and importance of screening in this age group. Healio (free registration) (6/26) Learn More

  • AI helps hospital help patients with unmet SDOH needs

    A top teaching hospital in the Midwest serving a population with substantial variation in social drivers of health adopted a natural language processing tool that extracts and converts unstructured SDOH information from EHRs for emergency department patients. When an SDOH need is found, a social worker is alerted, who then verifies the information with the patient and provides resources or referrals. After adopting the tool, the health system found that about 30% of its patient population had at least one SDOH factor in unstructured text, and 43% more patients with unmet SDOH needs have been identified and connected with resources. KevinMD (6/25) Learn More

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