Quality Improvement | Heart Rhythm Society

Quality Improvement

The HRS Quality Improvement program aims to create and foster a culture of QI within the heart rhythm community.

NEW! Quality Improvement Sessions from HRS 2023

Access the Heart Rhythm 2023 Quality Improvement program by clicking here. The bundle of sessions include complimentary access to the following:

Excellent AF Care Delivery: It Takes the Whole Village - Maximizing AF care delivery requires a comprehensive approach. Building relationships with anesthesia, working with administration to adequately staff the EP lab, and evaluating the feasibility of same day discharge may help create a winning environment for you AND your patients.

I Just Got a Pay Cut! RVU, VBC – OMG: Can & Should We Make Everybody Whole? -- Timely discussion regarding provider compensation models given changing landscape of reimbursement for EP procedures. We will examine this from both a private practice versus employed model and include physicians, administrators, and legal counsel.

If You Build It, Will They Come? Strategies for Practice Management and Growth –- Hear from practicing physicians, advanced practice providers and physician administrators on strategies to increase access to care for AF patients. In this session, we will explore how to create a business plan, streamlined referral pathways, team-based care delivery and quality outcome management.

Improving Arrhythmia Care Delivery: More than Catheters & CIEDs - Improve your practice by reducing opioid dependance, reducing vascular complications, identifying causes of syncope, and screening for ARVC.

My AF Ablation Was a Great Success! Really? How Should We Measure Success? - What is most relevant to determining AF ablation success? Whether that is AF burden, first recurrence, symptom burden or quality of life - it is important to create an organizational strategy to help define success and create goals for improved care of the AF patient.

Shark Tank: Hooking AFib - Come see our top 3 submitters present to a panel of AHA/HRS 'sharks' during a competition of research ideas related to the extensive GWTG-AFIB registry! See if their ideas will make the sharks want 'more skin in the game' or say 'for that reason, I'm out!' The winner of this competition will receive the AHA/HRS Bill Lewis Investigator Award plaque. Additionally, mentorship will be provided to the award winner to assist with project completion.

Equity in Heart Rhythm Research – Studying Representative Populations and Training Representative Investigators - As heart rhythm advances become increasingly specialized, complex, and often costly, disparity in research of therapeutics may develop among the patient populations who need them. This session seeks to explore the opportunities and challenges in conducting equitable research in heart rhythm diseases, recruiting representative populations including women, training diverse study investigators, and promoting global heart rhythm care among vulnerable populations. Hosted by HRS Research Committee.

QI Program: Heart Rhythm 2022 Sessions

Access the Heart Rhythm 2022 Quality Improvement program by clicking on the session titles below.

Atrial Fibrillation Risk Factor Modification: A comprehensive discussion of various risk factors that are commonly encountered in AF patients and various approaches to modifying them with regard to improving arrhythmia outcomes.

Collaboration with Primary Care to Elevate AF Care by Sharing Best Practice Recommendations: Learn how collaboration with primary care can elevate AF care through best practice recommendations.

EP Lab Accreditation: Accepting the Challenge to Improve Quality and Patient Safety: Distinguished speakers provide rapid-fire perspectives and responses to quality challenges in the EP Lab. The session culminates with leading experts debating the value of accreditation.

How to Make Your EP Lab More Efficient: A robust conversation in how to make your EP lab run more efficiently.

Patient Education and Engagement: This session provides an in depth look at patient education and engagement. Participants learn best practices for engaging patients with tools they can utilize during a patient visit.

Shark Tank 2022: Hooking AFib: The top 3 submitters present to an AHA/HRS panel of "sharks" during a competition of research ideas related to the extensive GWTG‐AFIB registry! Will their ideas make the sharks want "more skin in the game" or say, "for that reason, I’m out!"

Treating AFib: Care Pathways, and the Effect of Bleeding Events, Sex, and BMI on Outcomes: Learn about a treatment algorithm for patients seen in the ED with AF, and examine AF outcomes in women, in obese patients, and in patients bleeding events.

COMPASS Early Rhythm Management Webinar Series

Join esteemed moderators and panelists to learn about a multidisciplinary approach to atrial fibrillation (AFib), different facets of AFib treatment, and the shift to early rhythm control for AFib management. Supported by Sanofi and Biosense Webster, these three complimentary webinars each contain thoughtful presentations, recorded Q&As with a panel of experts, and full transcripts.

Episode 1: Different Facets of AFib Management - In this episode, Luigi Di Biase, MD, PhD, FHRS, addresses the best rhythm control strategies for early intervention in AF patients, including new technologies to potentially improve ablation outcome, identifying patients most suitable for LAA occlusion, and how lifestyle changes impact the AF disease course. Additional presentations and a Q&A-based discussion are also included with John Allison, MD, Devi G. Nair, MD, FHRS, Sanghamitra Mohanty, MBBS, MD, MS, FHRS, and Andrea Natale, MD, FHRS.

Episode 2 My Patient Has Atrial Fibrillation - What Now? - AFib patients can be seen and treated at multiple points in the healthcare system. In this episode, Thomas Deering, MD, MBA, FHRS, Thomas Deneke, MD, PhD, FHRS, Gerhard Hindricks, MD, Kathleen Kenny, MD, Nassir F. Marrouche, MD, FHRS, and Prashanthan Sanders, MBBS, PhD, FHRS, explore a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing and treating AFib in a primary care or emergency medicine setting. This activity covers rhythm control options and includes a Q&A moderated by Andrea M. Russo, MD, FHRS.

Episode 3: Early Rhythm Control: The New Paradigm in Atrial Fibrillation - In this episode, Jason G. Andrade, MD, FHRS, T. Jared Bunch, MD, FHRS, Mina K. Chung, MD, FHRS, Thomas Deering, MD, MBA, FHRS, CCDS, Andrea Natale, MD, FHRS, and Jonathan P. Piccini, Sr., MD, MHS, FHRS, discuss clinical outcomes of EAST-AFNET 4 relating to mortality, stroke, and readmission, describe an ideal timeline for implementing rhythm control protocol, and join in a panel discussion with Andrea M. Russo, MD, FHRS.

Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: The Special Issues We Face Daily (Plus Self-Assessment)

Managing stroke risk in specific populations often requires a tailored approach. The health care professional must weigh the risks and benefits of the different management strategies with each patient, and there are many “gray” areas for which no solid evidence base is available. This complimentary case-based activity will address what to do when special situations arise and will examine the management of stroke risk in various patient populations in the context of surgery, acute coronary syndrome, AF ablation, and after a major bleeding event.

The learner can also participate in an 18-question self-assessment examination and can earn up to 2 ACE credits.

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EP Lab Efficiencies

Now more than ever, heart rhythm specialists seek to improve the efficiency of their ablation labs. HRS is pleased to offer you the following resources to help improve the care and outcomes for patients while also increasing efficiency:

EP Lab Efficiencies Webinar Series

EP Lab EfficienciesIn this seven-part webinar series, learners may view the full series or select only the topics and segments of interest. Transcripts for each video are also provided.

The 7 videos cover the following areas of focus:

  1. Why EP labs should focus on efficiency;
  2. Explanation of a specific model for efficiency from Grandview Medical Center in Birmingham, AL;
  3. How to implement principles of quality improvement in an EP lab;
  4. The importance of team member involvement;
  5. The relationship between electrophysiology and anesthesiology departments;
  6. Engagement with the patient and caregiver; and
  7. Reproducing the model in your own institution.
How to Make Your EP Lab More Efficient

This session from Heart Rhythm 2022, How to Make Your EP Lab More Efficient, follows a robust conversation in how to make your EP lab run more efficiently. Presentations include:

  1. Why Bother? Improving the EP Lab Work Environment: Jennifer M. Wright, MA, MD, FHRS
  2. How Can the EP Lab Staff Help to Improve Lab Efficiency: Jena Humer, CCRN
  3. How to Run an Efficient EP Lab in Academics: Martin J. LaPage, MD, MS, FHRS, CCDS, CEPS-P
  4. How to Run an Efficient EP Lab in Private Practice: Moeen Saleem, MD
  5. How to Engage Your Hospital Administrator to Improve EP Lab Efficiency: Joshua Adler

Advancing Guideline-Directed Care in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Genetic testing is increasingly important in determining potential cardiac conditions in patients and is used in clinical settings more than ever before. To ensure that physicians have up-to-date knowledge of the evolving role of genetic testing for identifying predisposition for genetic heart disease and sudden death, which can be lifesaving for some patients, the Heart Rhythm Society developed a webinar to increase awareness and adoption of guideline directed care for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Upon completion of this complimentary, 1-COP credit webinar, the learner will be able to: Describe the growing role of genetic testing in clinical practice for patients with HCM, Discuss how genetic testing fits in to multidisciplinary care of the patient with HCM, and Discuss barriers to referral for genetic testing and possible solutions.

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Preventing Preventable Strokes: Using a Shared Decision-Making Approach with AFib Patients

This two-part webinar (with downloadable transcripts) examines how to apply shared decision-making (SDM) models for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib).  Methods to identify and overcome barriers to SDM, and to incorporate the role of interdisciplinary teams in implementing SDM, are explored.  In addition, three SDM decision aid tools for AFib stroke prevention are demonstrated. Explore this webinar, which offers attached transcripts of the content with highlights of key concepts, as well as the ability to view specific snippets of video content.

Upon completion of Part #1, the learner will be able to:

  1. Describe the essential elements of shared decision-making
  2. Compare and contrast the difference between typical patient education and shared decision-making, especially for patients with atrial fibrillation<
  3. Identify external factors that impact AFib SDM, including setting, workflow, and transitions of care
  4. Explain how to apply a shared decision-making model for a patient with atrial fibrillation

Upon completion of Part #2, the learner will be able to:

  1. Describe the role of interdisciplinary team members in implementing shared decision-making
  2. Compare and contrast three tools for shared decision-making for atrial fibrillation stroke prevention
  3. Identify methods to overcome barriers to adoption of shared decision-making
  4. Explain the patient perspective in shared decision-making interactions

QI Support of HRS Vision Through Optimizing Outcomes

HRS Optimizing OutcomesThe vision of HRS is to end death and suffering due to heart rhythm disorders. HRS quality improvement (QI) efforts support that vision through our Optimizing Outcomes initiatives that…

  • are led by heart rhythm specialists committed to improved care and outcomes
  • engage the global heart rhythm community to address gaps and disparities throughout the world
  • leverage the diversity, strength and unity of the HRS membership
  • foster collaboration, communication and care coordination between all clinicians that treat heart rhythm patients
  • concentrate on systems-based improvements, with the potential to result in the largest impact
  • evolve with the most recent science and knowledge
  • focus on the patient