Diagnosis-Driven, Cross-Disciplinary QA System for Coronary Artery Disease-Study Protocol

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) are treatments for coronary artery disease (CAD).
• Current German quality assurance (QA) is procedure-specific, not patient-centered or diagnosis-oriented.
• Existing QA lacks a holistic approach to individualized treatment selection for CAD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cross-disciplinary, diagnosis-based QA framework for CAD patients undergoing elective PCI or CABG.
• To shift from procedure-specific to patient-centered, diagnosis-oriented quality assessment.
• To optimize individualized treatment selection and improve outcome attribution in CAD care.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods study combining qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• Formulation of preliminary evidence-based Quality Indicators (QI) using qualitative methods.
• Secondary data analyses for QI prioritization, modeling, and evaluation, followed by a consensus process.

Main Results:

• Development of a novel QA framework integrating guideline recommendations and enhanced data linkage.
• Standardization and improvement of QA procedures across CAD care pathways.
• Integration of clinical expertise and real-world data to enhance patient outcomes.

Conclusions:

• A patient-centered, diagnosis-based QA framework is proposed for coronary artery disease care.
• The framework aims to improve treatment decisions, transparency, and standardization in quality assessment.
• Integration of guidelines, expert input, and real-world data enhances CAD care quality.