Welcome to the ACE ADVISOR! 2013 has been an exciting year for ACE -- our clients will double this year and we expect this trend to continue in 2014. We also accredited our first international facility, demonstrating that quality is a universal goal. We are launching the ACE ADVISOR newsletter and the ACE video series, including E3: More than Peer Review (launched August 2013) and ACE Accreditation. Physician Talk: 3 Common CCL Issues (September 2013). In October we will share single center data presented in an ACE Accreditation video. These are tools to spread the word and share successes, tips and tricks from our accredited facilities.
ACE clients report that in these times of extreme pressure and an intense level of scrutiny in US cardiac cath labs, the cost/benefit of ACE accreditation is difficult to precisely calculate. However, one cath lab director, featured in the ACE Accreditation. Physician Talk: 3 Common CCL Issues video series shared five metrics with the audience at an ACE breakfast symposium held at the SCAI meeting in May, 2013. Dr. David Wohns (Spectrum Health) presented data showing that DES usage had dropped from 1.7 to 1.4 stents per patient in 2011 and 2012, respectively, FFR use had increased from 40 procedures in 2011 to 430 in 2012, overall AUC appropriateness had increased to 94% in 2012 (NCDR reference point – 89%) and documentation not classifiable (missing data) had dropped to 2.8% (NCDR reference point – 8%).
The fifth metric is tough to quantify but is the most rewarding to learn. Dr. Wohns shared that the Interventional Cardiology (IC) weekly group meeting went from being the least attended/most avoided to “our favorite meeting,” showing randomly selected, blinded cases. The IC team learned, through ACE accreditation, how to rate each case for appropriateness in an atmosphere of camaraderie and mutual respect. The quest for quality doesn’t get much better than this.
King Faisal