Building an Adult Congenital Heart Program: Critical Components and Important Allies.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Over 1.4 million adults in the USA live with congenital heart disease (CHD).
• There is a significant gap in specialized care providers for adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) in many adult medical centers.
• Existing healthcare systems often lack the comprehensive services required for complex ACHD cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the challenges and opportunities in establishing an Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) program.
• To identify critical components and essential collaborators for successful ACHD program development.
• To advocate for the expansion of specialized ACHD care.

Main Methods:

• This is a review article, synthesizing existing knowledge and best practices.
• The authors discuss the necessary escalation of care complexity management.
• Emphasis is placed on cultivating essential resources and clinical services.

Main Results:

• Successful ACHD program development necessitates a multi-faceted approach.
• Integration of congenital cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, and acquired heart disease services is crucial.
• Collaboration with non-cardiac specialists is vital for holistic patient care.

Conclusions:

• A strategic business model, viewing ACHD care as a shared goal, can facilitate resource acquisition.
• Reframing ACHD care fosters partnerships among patients, providers, hospitals, industry, and payers.
• Aggressive expansion of ACHD programs is needed to meet the growing patient population's needs.