Optimizing Remote Patient Monitoring

The ACC's 2nd Annual Applied Health Information Consortium Summit (AHIC) brought together cross-disciplinary stakeholders this past October to discuss opportunities to harness the power of remote patient monitoring to transform cardiovascular care.

The interactive, one-day event led by Heba Wassif, MD, FACC, and the AHIC Work Group, focused on the utility of digital tools for remote patient monitoring and the challenges and opportunities associated with deploying these tools for both post-hospitalization and ambulatory care. The ultimate goal: to come away with a better understanding of what is required to effectively optimize remote patient monitoring over the long term.

Participants heard from leaders in the field, including Thomas M. Maddox, MD, MSc, FACC, and James Mault, MD, who spoke to the latest data surrounding remote monitoring and the formula for successful implementation, respectively. Ritu Thamman, MD, FACC, also addressed the utility of digital tools – all of which helped inform breakout sessions looking at patient and clinician needs; workflow considerations; ways to match the technology to the patient; and regulatory, legal and financial barriers that must be overcome.

Designing optimal remote patient monitoring platforms and ecosystems in ways that also address disparities, equity and access were also important areas of discussion, as were necessary metrics and the potential need for new quality measures. Seth S. Martin, MD, MHS, FACC, shared his insights from the Corrie Health experience using remote monitoring in post-hospital discharge following myocardial infarction, while Tony Das, MD, FACC, and Michael Meissner, PhD, provided tips for patient education, engagement and adherence. Sanjeev Bhavnani, MD, FACC, and Ami B. Bhatt, MD, FACC, offered their insights into the opportunities inherent with digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

"Applied artificial intelligence and digital technology advances are sweeping the health care community and these advances, coupled with other health care technologies, will only continue to be developed at an ever-increasing pace," said ACC President Dipti Itchhaporia, MD, FACC. "Coming out of the Summit, the hope is we can prioritize next steps around what guidance is needed to support the cardiovascular community as clinicians navigate how to perform remote patient monitoring and improve the patient experience."

Honoring Our Commitment to Global CV Education

The ACC's international conferences in Latin America and the Middle East in October and November continued to deliver on the College's commitment to being out front in the delivery of localized education.

Both conferences included the College's hallmark FIT Jeopardy competition, featuring teams from throughout the respective regions, innovative abstract presentations, thought-provoking plenary sessions with global experts, and a host of educational sessions examining emerging trends and providing evidence-based strategies for the management of patients with cardiovascular disease.

Specific highlights from the ACC Middle East Conference held Oct. 14-15 in concert with the Egyptian Society of Cardiology and the ACC Egypt Chapter, included plenary sessions looking at top clinical trials in 2021, such as RAFT-AF, FLOWER-MI, ISCHEMIA and EMPEROR-Preserved. Others addressed recent advances in antiplatelet therapy and cardiovascular imaging, respectively, as well as the role of SGLT2 inhibitors.

Led by co-chairs Mohamed Sobhy, MD, FACC, and Khaled M. Ziada, MD, FACC, the conference also delivered engaging sessions highlighting contemporary best practices across the cardiovascular spectrum and poster sessions on topics like the impact of oral health status on COVID-19, myocarditis and COVID-19, and the prevalence of cardiac risk factors and the attitude toward self-risk assessment among cardiac care givers. Attendees onsite in Cairo also had access to hand-on simulations and interactive skills labs.

The ACC Latin America 2021 Virtual conference held Nov. 5-6, included a plenary session with JACC Editor-in-Chief and cardiovascular legend Valentin Fuster, MD, MPH, MACC, on the "imagenomics" of the heart and brain. Other plenaries looked at best practices for bringing imaging to the bedside, and the latest in heart valve disease management, including a deep dive into the ACC/AHA valvular heart disease guideline recommendations.

Co-chaired by B. Hadley Wilson, MD, FACC, and Cesar J. Herrera, MD, FACC, ACC Latin America also underscored the importance of cardiovascular prevention, transforming community through top clinical trials, practically approaching guideline-driven care and strengthening professional networks. Top abstracts addressed issues ranging from various aspects of COVID-19 to cigarette smoking as a marker of poor blood pressure control in adults on medical therapy for hypertension.

ACC Members Give Back on Giving Tuesday

ACC members from around the world gave back to the College on Giving Tuesday, helping to shape the future of cardiology and further progress towards achieving the College's Mission of transforming cardiovascular care improving heart health.

"The strength of our profession – and the quality of care we're able to provide in the future – depends on our capacity to evolve and innovate today and to leverage new technologies for the benefit of our patients," says ACC President Dipti Itchhaporia, MD, FACC. "Contributions to ACCF's Annual Fund helps us do just that."

The generous gifts made to the ACC Foundation on Giving Tuesday and throughout the broader course of the year provide important opportunities to further the College's goals of tangibly addressing global health; fostering diversity, equity and inclusion; and ensuring a pipeline of future leaders in cardiovascular care. To date, contributions to the ACC Foundation have helped to harness innovation and develop new programming that delivers critical information to clinicians around the world when and how they need it most. They have also helped the College invest in the future of cardiology and pursue a more diverse and inclusive workforce, one that more closely reflects the communities it serves.

Time and time again the ACC community has proven able to rise to the challenges of today and identify real solutions for tomorrow. As we continue to adapt to our rapidly changing world and transform cardiovascular care worldwide, support for the ACC Foundation will continue to help shape the future of cardiology and have a profound impact on clinicians and patients alike.

ACC, ASE to Collaborate on EchoSAP

The ACC and the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) are now collaborating on the development of EchoSAP, the popular self-assessment program covering the entire field of echocardiography.

EchoSAP helps clinicians prepare for the initial or recertification exam in echocardiography, stay abreast of new advances in the field, and earn 139 CME/MOC credits. The new collaboration with ASE, along with the leadership of new co-editors Judy R. Mangion, MD, FACC, and Danita M. Yoerger Sanborn, MD, MMSc, FACC, will ensure that it remains one of the most trusted resources in the field.

Click here to learn more about EchoSAP.

To learn more about how to use EchoSAP as part of the Collaborative Maintenance Pathway to meet maintenance of certification requirements, visit ACC.org/CMP.

Thank You to All Our Contributors in 2021

Every year more and more members reach out and volunteer to share their knowledge and expertise with their fellow professionals through Cardiology, both online and in print, helping us to serve the goal of providing lifelong learning in clinical and nonclinical areas.

We appreciate their commitment to helping us ensure your member magazine truly brings a variety of voices to our readers and continues to make Cardiology a valuable tool for every busy cardiovascular professional.

While not listed here individually, we say thank you to all the members who contribute to Cardiology through interviews and profiles and support the work of the magazine behind the scenes with their guidance and content knowledge.

We're committed to increasing the number and variety of voices in Cardiology. Have an idea for a topic? Want to write an article? We want to hear from you. Engage with us through email at cardiologyeditor@acc.org and Twitter #CardiologyMag.