Delivery of care for adult patients with congenital heart disease in Europe: results from the Euro Heart Survey

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Management

Background:

• Growing population of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD).
• Need for established recommendations for patient management and healthcare organization.
• Focus on the delivery of care for adults with congenital cardiac anomalies in Europe.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the current delivery of care for adults with congenital heart anomalies in Europe.
• To assess compliance with optimal care standards in European centers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Euro Heart Survey on Adult Congenital Heart Disease.
• Collected information from 71 participating centers (48 specialist, 23 non-specialist).
• Evaluated care practices against defined standards for optimal care structure.

Main Results:

• Only 19% of specialist centers met optimal care structure standards.
• Key challenges included performing a minimum of 50 congenital heart operations annually and integrating nurse specialists.
• Significant gaps in care provision identified across European centers.

Conclusions:

• The provision of care for adults with congenital heart defects in Europe is suboptimal.
• Continuous efforts are needed from healthcare professionals to implement recommendations for care organization.
• Ensuring optimal care is crucial to maximize the benefits of early cardiac surgery.