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Patient-centered care focus of new ACC policy paper

Issue: August 2012

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The American College of Cardiology has released a health policy statement with key recommendations for incorporating a patient-centered approach to CV care. The health policy statement, ACCF 2012 Health Policy Statement on Patient-Centered Care in Cardiovascular Medicine, is a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation Clinical Quality Committee.

“Patient-centered care is crucial to heart disease management and, as CV specialists, we strongly believe this is the type of care we should be providing,” Mary Norine Walsh, MD, medical director of the HF and cardiac transplantation programs at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis and chair of ACC’s Patient-Centered Care Committee, said in an ACC press release. “Beyond knowing the technical aspects of the disease, we need to do a better job of understanding patients’ perception of their disease, their goals and life experience so we can together chart a course for how we are going to manage the disease.”

The statement discusses elements of patient-centered care, as well as patient-centered care and new practice challenges, such as the effect of technology and the complexity of care strategies with self-care. It also outlines ways for cardiology practices and medical centers to educate patients about their CV conditions, treatment options and goals.

“As clinicians, we have been taught for many years to give patients orders and expect things to happen,” Alfred A. Bove, MD, PhD, professor emeritus, Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and vice chair of ACC’s Patient-Centered Care Committee, said in the release. “But when it comes to the day-to-day management of chronic conditions, like heart disease, we have to empower patients to be actively involved in their own care. We won’t be effective unless we move toward a patient-centered approach. This initiative is intended to help us get there.”

For more information:

Walsh MN. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2012;doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2012.03.016.

Disclosure: Writing committee members were required to recuse themselves from voting on sections to which their specific relationship with the industry and other entities may apply. The health policy statement document was approved in April by the American College of Cardiology Foundation Board of Trustees. For the purpose of complete transparency, disclosure information for the ACCF Board of Trustees, the board of the convening organization of the health policy statement, is available at http://www.cardiosource.org/ACC/About-ACC/Leadership/Officers-and-Trustees.aspx. ACCF board members with relevant relationships with industry to the statement may have reviewed and commented on the statement but did not vote on approval.