ACC president: Embracing change in times of uncertainty

WASHINGTON — During the presidential address of the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session, Richard Chazal, MD, FACC, discussed a changing tide in cardiology and the responsibility of cardiologists worldwide to face that change.

The next evolution of care

According to Chazal, practitioners are on the cusp of the next evolution in cardiology with personalized medicine.

Richard Chazal

“Personalized, algorithm-based precision medicine is already increasingly available and it’s undoubtedly going to have significant impacts on the way care is delivered moving forward,” ACC President Chazal said. “Rapid advancements in diagnostics and therapeutics are promising breakthrough treatments in [HF], managing hypolipidemia and saving and improving lives of patients who only a few years ago were considered untreatable.”

Efforts in health care reform

Chazal noted changes in health care reform efforts over the years that have forced CV professionals to rethink the way care is delivered. Most notably the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), which tries to establish a framework for moving Medicare from a volume to a value-based system.

“MACRA itself is likely to bring about some of the most dynamic and dramatic systematic changes that we may see in our professional lifetime,” Chazal said. “The early years of MACRA are going to pose some very real challenges to physicians and to patients who are accustomed to the current system.”

Keeping up with education

Another area of change Chazal discussed is learning and keeping up with advancements in the education process.

Continuing developments in technology pose new methods of treatment, such as online learning options, mobile applications and shared decision-making.

According to Chazal, organizations that wish to be successful in increasing education have a responsibility to leverage available technology to provide needs-based learning options, which are developed in response to learner needs as opposed to presenter or institutional preference.

Push for diversity

Although the field of cardiology is increasingly, there is still room for improvement, Chazal said.

He cited a 2015 study that showed substantial differences between male and female cardiologists’ salaries, but also dramatically different job descriptions.

More recently, the Professional Life Survey, conducted by ACC’s Women in Cardiology Section, however, suggests an opportunity for CV leaders, men and women to focus on ensuring future cardiologists represent the best and most inclusive group possible free of discrimination.

Accepting and addressing change

During his address, Chazal noted that the location for the ACC Scientific Session this year, Washington, D.C., is in a constant flux of change. He urges cardiologists to learn from the Capitol and accept that change is coming regardless and figure out the best way to address those changes.

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Finding new ways to utilize technology, developing diagnostic and therapeutic drugs responsibly, embracing colleagues with various backgrounds and viewpoints, and engaging with those doctors in a productive way and sharing those outcomes to educate lawmakers to influence change are all crucial to the future of CV medicine, he said.

“Let’s not squander a chance to truly transform CV care and improve heart health,” he said. “Let’s take advantage of these changing times to embrace challenges, find new solutions and let’s also be patient.” – by Dave Quaile

Reference:

Chazal R. Joint ACC/JACC Late-Breaking Clinical Trials. Presented at: American College of Cardiology Scientific Session; March 17-19, 2017; Washington, D.C.