IOM Paper Supports AHA Quality of Care Program
The American Heart Association's chief science officer, Dr. Rose Marie Robertson, is the author of the "Making the Case for Continuous Learning from Routinely Collected Health Data" discussion paper:
American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown issue a statement April 15 praising a new Institute of Medicine discussing paper, "Making the Case for Continuous Learning from Routinely Collected Health Data," that was written by AHA's chief science officer, Dr. Rose Marie Robertson.
"We applaud the Institute of Medicine for identifying the importance of using routinely-collected data to improve our health, our health care delivery and our investments in health care costs. It's vital that health care decisions are based on the best available evidence. The American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association is proud to be a leader in this area," Brown's statement says.
It explains that AHA's Get With The Guidelines quality improvement program launched in 2000 to give health care providers a systematic approach for measuring and improving the quality of care they deliver for heart disease and stroke. "Now implemented in more than 2,000 hospitals, it’s evolved with tools, information and resources that empower patients to work in tandem with their providers to take personal responsibility to lead healthier lives," she says. "Get With The Guidelines supports in-hospital care for coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, resuscitation, and atrial fibrillation, along with a module focusing on outpatient care for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The program boasts an ever-growing database of nearly 5 million patient records, regularly mined as a rich source of research that helps us identify and address gaps in care, including gender and ethnic disparities.
"Studies have found hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines demonstrate greater adherence to national guideline-recommended therapies compared to other publicly-reporting hospitals. The program has accelerated and improved the use of research and guidelines for cardiovascular and stroke care on a national scale and helps answer our highest priority research questions more effectively and efficiently.
"Because of our commitment to this initiative, we’re extremely pleased that our Chief Science Officer, Dr. Rose Marie Robertson, is an author on this important IOM paper. We will continue to lead in this effort, providing hospitals with the latest scientific-based medicine to improve health outcomes for millions of heart disease and stroke patients."
To read the IOM report, visit www.iom.edu/makingthecase.