Prior to the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had made some great strides to address the issue of low participation rates in cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Here's a high-level recap!
Million Hearts, a national initiative led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), was launched in 2012 to prevent one million acute cardiovascular events over five years by addressing key cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Recognizing the importance of CR for secondary prevention, the Million Hearts Cardiac Rehabilitation Leadership Summit was held in November 2015. Strategies for increasing CR referrals and participation were discussed, and ultimately, it led to the adoption of the 70% participation target that was set for Million Hearts 2022. This goal has driven many of the subsequent initiatives.
In collaboration with the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), Million Hearts developed the Cardiac Rehabilitation Change Package (CRCP) in 2018. This tool provides evidence-based strategies for hospitals and CR professionals to improve referral, enrollment, participation, and adherence rates in CR. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded four projects to boost CR participation, including home-based and hybrid CR models. Results from these trials are forthcoming.
In 2018, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) launched the “TAKEheart” initiative, incorporating two Million Hearts-recommended strategies: automatic, opt-out electronic health record referrals and care coordinators to educate and facilitate CR referrals. Also in 2018, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures introduced new CR performance measures. Subsequently, Million Hearts collaborated with the National Committee on Quality Assurance to develop CR enrollment measures for the 2020 and 2021 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS).
Head to chanlhealth.com to learn more about improving rates of participation in CR.
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