DUBLIN, May 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New findings from an American College of Cardiology's (ACC) survey revealed more than half of cardiologists (57%) believe patient preparation may lead to better quality discussions around treatment options for heart valve disease (HVD). Results from the ACC CardioSurve panelist survey, sponsored by Medtronic (NYSE: MDT), and conducted by the American College of Cardiology, garnered responses from more than 150 cardiologists around key factors driving treatment choices for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. The data was published in the April 2021 Cardiology Magazine and will be presented Sunday during the virtual symposium at ACC's 70th Annual Scientific Session, A Practical Approach to Shared Decision-Making when Treating HVD.
More than five million Americans are currently impacted by heart valve disease, and 1.5 million have one of the most common forms, aortic stenosis (AS). Currently, treatment options for AS include transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure, or a surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR), also known as open heart surgery. However, more than half of cardiologists surveyed (53%) feel that their symptomatic severe AS patients are not as informed as they should be about their treatment options.
The findings indicate physicians recognize the importance of shared decision making to achieve individualized care for heart valve disease patients. This reinforces new ACC/AHA Heart Valve Disease Guidelines released in December 2020, calling for shared decision-making between patients and their heart team when it comes to intervention choices – particularly the decision between TAVR and SAVR.
"In light of new guidelines, it is more important than ever to understand how to actually achieve shared decision-making goals in clinical practice," Purvi Parwani, M.D., director of the Women's Cardiovascular Health Clinic at Loma Linda International Heart Institute, and panelist in the ACC virtual symposium. "This survey gives the cardiology community clearer insights into how to enhance the conversations we are already having and align on patient priorities – with the ultimate goal of achieving a more timely, individualized approach to aortic stenosis care."
The survey drew parallels to the recent Active Living survey by patient advocacy group Heart-Valve-Surgery.com of more than 3,400 patients and caregivers, showing that both physicians and patients want to improve the doctor/patient dialogue to help create more individualized treatment plans which can lead to improved outcomes.
