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Structure of multidisciplinary heart teams, a survey-based heart team study
Umar Imran Hamid1,2, Thomas Modine3, Jos Maessen1
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands.
European heart teams show significant variability in practice. Standardized guidelines are needed to improve transparency and decision-making in cardiovascular care.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Multidisciplinary approaches, including heart teams, are recognized for improving patient outcomes.
- The structure and function of heart teams in real-world clinical practice require investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the current practices and variability of heart teams across European institutions.
- To identify potential areas for standardization in heart team operations.
Main Methods:
- A survey was distributed to cardiac surgeons and cardiologists across Europe.
- Responses from 220 clinicians in 26 countries were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Heart team meetings were typically weekly and face-to-face.
- Only 10-20% of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention were discussed.
- A significant portion of institutions lacked ad hoc guidelines or audit processes for heart team decisions.
Conclusions:
- There is considerable variation in the infrastructure and execution of heart teams across European institutions.
- Developing standardized guidelines for heart team composition and function is recommended to enhance decision-making transparency and facilitate outcome comparison.
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