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Cardiovascular Statistics from the Good Practices in Cardiology Program - Data from a Brazilian Tertiary Public
Luiz Guilherme Passaglia1, Marina Lírio Resende Cerqueira2, Mariana Martins Pires2
1Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - Serviço de Cardiologia e Cirurgia Cardíaca do Hospital das Clínicas, Belo Horizonte, MG - Brasil.
Insights
The Good Practices in Cardiology Program in Brazil showed good adherence to guidelines for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and heart failure (HF) patients. Performance indicators exceeded 85% for most recommendations, especially in the ACS group.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
Background:
- The Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC) developed the Good Practices in Cardiology Program to enhance cardiovascular disease patient care in public hospitals.
- This initiative aims to standardize and improve the quality of treatment for patients with cardiovascular diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize patients hospitalized with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or heart failure (HF) at a tertiary public hospital.
- To evaluate performance indicators for ACS and HF care against a benchmark of 85% adherence to SBC recommendations.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted.
- Data were collected from patients hospitalized between May 2016 and September 2019.
Main Results:
- 1,036 patients were analyzed (763 ACS, 273 HF), with a predominance of male patients and lower socioeconomic status.
- ST-elevation ACS was most common (66.3%); Chagas disease was the leading cause of HF (25.8%).
- Adherence to SBC guidelines exceeded 85% for nine out of 12 performance indicators, particularly in the ACS cohort.
Conclusions:
- Quality improvement programs are crucial for enhancing patient care.
- The study demonstrated good adherence to SBC guidelines, especially for acute coronary syndrome patients, indicating program effectiveness.
Background:
The Good Practices in Cardiology Program is an initiative created by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (SBC) to improve the quality of care of cardiovascular disease patients in Brazilian public hospitals.
Objectives:
To characterize patients admitted to a tertiary public hospital with diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or heart failure (HF) and to evaluate performance indicators in both ACS and HF arms, with a pre-established target of 85% adherence to the SBC recommendations.
Methods:
This was a descriptive cross-sectional study through data collection of patients hospitalized between May 2016 and September 2019.
Results:
A total of 1,036 patients were included, 273 in the HF arm and 763 in the ACS arm. Mean age was 59.8 ± 12.0 years in the ACS and 57.0 ± 14.1 years in the HF, with a predominance of male patients in both groups. More than half of patients had some primary education and more than 90% reported a monthly income of less than five minimum wages. In ACS, the diagnosis of ACS with ST segment elevation was predominant (66.3%), and 2.9% of patients died. In HF, the most common etiology was Chagas disease (25.8%), and 17.9% died. Analysis of the performance indicators revealed an adherence rate higher than 85% to nine of the 12 indicators.
Conclusion:
Quality programs are essential for improvement of quality of care. Performance indicators pointed to a good adherence to the SBC guidelines, mainly in the ACS arm.
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