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An Open Letter to Members of the Maryland Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (MDACC) and Patients Regarding Stent Procedure Articles. On Tuesday, July 5th, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released a study, which examined the appropriateness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. The study included a review of records from 1,091 U.S. hospitals who participate in the CathPCI Registry of the National Cardiovascular Registry Data Base (NCDR). Records captured between July 1, 2009 and Sept. 30, 2010 found that a vast majority of PCIs performed in acute (emergency) settings (98.6 percent) were classified as appropriate. For non-acute (non-emergency) indications, however, 11.6 percent were classified as inappropriate, with substantial variation noted across hospitals. These classifications were based on the American College of Cardiology's Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for Coronary Revascularization. Overall, the study found that although the majority of patients are appropriately selected for stent procedures, there are opportunities for improvement, especially in the non-emergency setting. Studies like these are extremely beneficial to patients and to cardiovascular specialists and highlight the need for physicians and hospitals to continue to work together to implement policies that will improve patient safety and quality of care while reducing costs. Maryland is the only state in the nation that mandates hospital use of the CathPCI registry. MD-ACC believes additional policies are needed to further leverage data and clinical expertise to benefit patients. We commend Maryland physicians and institutions who have taken aggressive steps in recent months to address patient concerns regarding inappropriate stent procedures. We ask them to work with us and Maryland health care officials to establish a clear, consistent policy to achieve this goal. Specifically, we support:
For more information on the study, click here. Sincerely, Sam Goldberg, MD, FACC President |
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The MDACC knows patients are concerned about their CV care and is actively involved in Annapolis to make sure Maryland Seniors have access to CV care. -
Over the last 8 years, morbidity and mortality have decreased by 29%.
Now patients are at risk. -
The Maryland Chapter, ACC members and leaders actively contact Congress to explain how legislation and regulation effect patient care.
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National guidelines developed by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) state that hospitals treating STEMI patients with emergency PCI should reliably achieve a door-to-balloon time of 90 minutes or less. -
Members of the MDACC receive alerts via email from President Sam Goldberg, MD, about issues that need action. If you are not on the list contact the chapter office with your email address.
