In this edition of our Quality Matters blog, we take a speculative look at the future of quality in cardiology. What’s on the horizon, and what’s next for quality standards in the field?
In September, Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence (ACE) announced the release of our newly updated, openly available 2020 quality standards for the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Last updated in 2015, ACE quality standards for cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention have undergone a comprehensive review and update process led by the ACE Board of Directors, including review of all recent literature and guidance documents from professional societies, resulting in the first openly available ambulatory surgery center standards.
As we roll out changes, optimizations and new standards five years in the making, we’re inspired to take a look forward at the next five years. What will quality cardiac care look like in 2025? In 2030? We cut through the hype to examine four major trends shaping the future of quality in cardiology.
1. Structural Heart Standards Coming Soon
Okay, we don’t exactly have to break out our crystal ball for this one—we’ve been developing quality standards for structural heart and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures, specifically, and it will likely be the next major announcement from ACE following our Cath/PCI standards update. But as more new science confirms the efficacy and durability of TAVR results, more providers will move to offer TAVR procedures and volumes will increase, so these standards will be all the more important going forward.
During COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) offered leniency on their volume requirements, so we may have even more evidence, borne of necessity and natural experiment, of the importance of volume requirements in maintaining procedural competency in the next few years. As with our updated Cath/PCI standards, ACE’s standards for structural heart will incorporate the latest science and clinical consensus to ensure quality care across an array of treatment facilities.
