Sign in Subscribe
Associations

Hospitals Improve Heart Failure Treatment Adherence Through American Heart Association's Multiregional Initiative

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Hospitals participating in the American Heart Association's multiregional IMPLEMENT-HF initiative have significantly improved adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy for patients hospitalized with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The initiative, launched in 2021, aimed to improve the uptake of quadruple medical therapy and integrate health-related social needs assessments into routine care. This effort has built on the Association's Get With The Guidelines(R) - Heart Failure program and involved over 100 hospitals across the US. The study included data from over 43,000 patients at 67 hospitals and demonstrated the importance of collaboration and real-time data in closing the treatment gap in heart failure.

Key Takeaways:

  • About 6.7 million adults in the US are living with heart failure, expected to increase to over 8 million by 2030.
  • Quadruple medical therapy significantly reduces mortality, but its use has remained low nationwide, particularly among underrepresented populations.
  • The American Heart Association's IMPLEMENT-HF initiative improved adherence to guideline-directed medical therapy by 27.5% in participating hospitals.
  • The initiative built on the Association's Get With The Guidelines(R) - Heart Failure program.
  • IMPLEMENT-HF involved over 100 hospitals across the US and included data from over 43,000 patients at 67 hospitals.
  • HFrEF affects nearly half of people hospitalized for heart failure and carries a 75% five-year mortality rate.
  • The initiative created a structured "all-teach, all-learn" environment, offering tools for identifying care gaps, sharing best practices, and monitoring performance at hospital and regional levels.
  • The American Heart Association is committed to transforming systems of care to ensure every person has access to the highest standard of heart failure treatment, no matter where they live.

Statistics:

  • 6.7 million Americans are living with heart failure, expected to increase to over 8 million by 2030.
  • Quadruple medical therapy has a 27.5% improvement in adherence rate in participating hospitals.
  • HFrEF affects nearly 50% of people hospitalized for heart failure.
  • Five-year mortality rate for HFrEF is 75%.
  • Over 100 hospitals participated in the IMPLEMENT-HF initiative.
  • Over 43,000 patients were included in the study.
  • 67 hospitals provided data for the initiative.

Sources:

  • [1] Circulation: Heart Failure, "Hospital Adoption of Quadruple Therapy for Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction Is Associated With Improved Outcomes," published online April 13, 2023.
  • American Heart Association, "American Heart Association Announces 2021 Quality Improvement Initiative for Heart Failure Care," press release, January 2021.

Read more