The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, is launching a new initiative to improve in-hospital care for people with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). HFpEF and HFmrEF collectively account for up to 75% of all heart failure cases, yet clinical research and treatment evidence in HFpEF and HFmrEF is substantially limited compared with other types of heart failure.
The IMPLEMENT-EF quality improvement initiative will aim to address those challenges by mapping gaps in the patient journey to identify unmet needs and define ideal care models.
The percentage of blood that leaves the left ventricle with each heartbeat is measured by ejection fraction (EF). A normal EF is between 55% and 70%. HFpEF means an individual has heart failure but EF remains 50% or higher - the heart muscle contracts, but the left ventricle does not relax as it should during ventricular filling. HFmrEF means EF is reduced to 41%-49%.
Treatment for HFpEF and HFmrEF requires earlier recognition and prompt initiation of scientific evidence-based therapies to improve health outcomes.
This new three-year initiative, supported by Bayer, will engage a network of multidisciplinary care teams - including pharmacists - to ensure people are receiving and taking the appropriate medications, raise provider awareness of best care practices and improve adherence to scientific evidence-based therapies using insights from Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure data. Findings will inform the American Heart Association's broader approach to patient care and help scale effective, replicable models nationwide.
To enhance clinical understanding and encourage best practices, the initiative will include a variety of professional educational offerings, such as a podcast series, eLearning module and live presentations. The Association will convene a Science Advisory Panel to guide development of these educational materials.
Improving care for people experiencing heart failure with preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction requires more than just clinical knowledge. It demands a coordinated, team-based approach. By bringing together diverse care teams and leveraging real-world data, this initiative will help elevate the standard of care and ultimately improve outcomes for millions of people living with heart failure."
Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association
The Association has recruited 40 hospitals to take part in the inaugural program. Teams in these facilities will have the opportunity to collaborate with other hospitals and with nationally recognized experts, access exclusive educational resources and share successful quality improvement models.
"We are committed to advancing science that transforms patient care, especially in areas like HFpEF and HFmrEF, where gaps in evidence and treatment persist," said Robert Perkins, M.D., M.P.H., FACP, vice president of U.S. medical affairs cardiovascular and renal at Bayer. "We're proud to support this American Heart Association initiative to help identify and scale effective care models that can improve outcomes for the millions of people living with these forms of heart failure."
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