Developing and implementing a standard of care for intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation

This article summarizes the process for developing one standard of care for IABC within an integrated hospital system. Practice variations and new research findings create a need to review and update standards of care regularly. Assessing current practice, reviewing the literature, and consulting experts are part of the development process. Implementation of a new standard is a multifaceted challenge that involves several educational strategies. Evaluation of a standard of care is accomplished by assessing quality outcome indicators.