American Heart Association Launches Initiative to Address Treatment Gaps in Common Heart Failure Types
TL;DR
The American Heart Association's IMPLEMENT-EF initiative offers hospitals a competitive edge by developing superior care models for 75% of heart failure cases.
The three-year IMPLEMENT-EF initiative uses real-world data to map patient journey gaps and define evidence-based care models for HFpEF and HFmrEF treatment.
This initiative will improve outcomes for millions with heart failure by scaling effective care models nationwide through multidisciplinary team collaboration and education.
HFpEF and HFmrEF account for 75% of heart failure cases yet have limited treatment evidence, making this new initiative crucial for advancing care.
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The American Heart Association has launched a new three-year initiative to improve in-hospital care for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF). These two conditions collectively account for up to 75% of all heart failure cases, yet clinical research and treatment evidence remains substantially limited compared to other heart failure types.
The IMPLEMENT-EF quality improvement initiative, supported by Bayer, will map gaps in the patient journey to identify unmet needs and define ideal care models. Treatment for HFpEF and HFmrEF requires earlier recognition and prompt initiation of scientific evidence-based therapies to improve health outcomes. HFpEF occurs when an individual has heart failure but ejection fraction remains 50% or higher, while HFmrEF means ejection fraction is reduced to 41%-49%.
The initiative will engage a network of multidisciplinary care teams, including pharmacists, to ensure patients receive appropriate medications, raise provider awareness of best care practices, and improve adherence to evidence-based therapies using insights from Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure data. Findings will inform the Association's broader approach to patient care and help scale effective, replicable models nationwide.
Forty hospitals have been recruited for the inaugural program, where teams will collaborate with other facilities and nationally recognized experts while accessing exclusive educational resources. The initiative includes professional educational offerings such as a podcast series, eLearning module, and live presentations. A Science Advisory Panel will guide development of these educational materials to enhance clinical understanding and encourage best practices.
Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association, emphasized that improving care for these heart failure types demands more than just clinical knowledge, requiring a coordinated, team-based approach. Robert Perkins, M.D., M.P.H., FACP, vice president of U.S. medical affairs cardiovascular and renal at Bayer, noted the company's commitment to advancing science that transforms patient care in areas where evidence and treatment gaps persist.
This initiative addresses a critical healthcare gap affecting millions of Americans, as proper management of these common heart failure types can significantly reduce hospitalizations, improve quality of life, and potentially lower mortality rates. The program's findings could reshape standard care protocols across the healthcare industry and influence future clinical guidelines for heart failure treatment.
Curated from NewMediaWire
