Global Registries and Surveys Programme-Heart Failure (GRASP-HF): Rationale, study design and research implications

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) presents a growing global health challenge with significant morbidity, mortality, and economic impact.
• Despite therapeutic advances, the implementation of evidence-based HF management in clinical practice remains suboptimal.
• Existing registries may have limitations in patient selection and scope, necessitating a comprehensive assessment of current HF care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the real-world implementation of evidence-based heart failure (HF) management across Europe.
• To assess adherence to the 2021 and 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) HF Guidelines in both acute and chronic HF cases.
• To provide a platform for the Improving Care through Accreditation and Recognition in Heart Failure (ICARe-HF) programme and inform future guideline development.

Main Methods:

• The Global Registries and Surveys Programme-Heart Failure (GRASP-HF) is a pan-European, observational, snapshot study.
• Consecutive enrollment of patients over a 2-month period minimizes selection bias.
• Data collection includes diagnostic strategies, guideline-recommended therapies, quality indicators, frailty, rare HF aetiologies, and in-hospital/follow-up events.

Main Results:

• This manuscript outlines the rationale, methodology, and design of the GRASP-HF study.
• GRASP-HF will provide real-time insights into current HF diagnostic and treatment practices.
• The study addresses under-explored areas such as frailty and rare HF causes, offering a comprehensive view of HF care.

Conclusions:

• GRASP-HF will benchmark HF care across European and non-European centers, informing ESC educational strategies.
• Annual repetition of GRASP-HF, in conjunction with ICARe-HF, will facilitate continuous improvement in HF management.
• The study aims to support National Cardiac Societies in policy development and contribute data-driven insights for future HF guidelines.