Inspiring stories of patient survival, thought-provoking discussions on topics ranging from reducing hospital readmissions to managing patients with cardiovascular risk factors, and panel presentations featuring government officials and leading heart disease experts are just some of the activities taking place in the CardioSmart Patient Engagement Pavilion (Expo Hall, #1154) during ACC.17.

I will kick things off in the Pavilion on Friday morning with a presentation on ways physicians can engage with patients through social media. With more and more people getting involved with social media, embracing these platforms can help physicians find new ways to educate and connect with patients.

Also on Friday, the Alliance for Aging Research will present on “Tackling Barriers to Detection and Treatment for Geriatric Heart Patients,” while representatives from Mended Hearts/Mended Little Hearts will discuss the “Power of Peer Support to Change Lives.” Representatives from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center will share their experiences with ACC’s Patient Navigator Program and helping patients “survive and thrive” following hospitalization for a heart attack.

In addition to presentations from the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses and the American Society of Preventive Cardiology, the Association of Black Cardiologists will end the day on Friday with a look at how to improve health care access for minority and high-risk populations.

On Saturday, a session with CardioSmart OnCall will focus on reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease through therapeutic lifestyle changes, while a panel of Cardiovascular Team members, including pharmacists, nurse practitioners and nurses, will take the stage to offer their unique perspectives on patient access to cardiovascular care. Don’t miss the National Forum presentation on the Stronger Hearts^TM Best Practices Award Winner highlights, as well as representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Duke Clinical Research Institute ADAPTABLE Patient Engagement, and the Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) Foundation, presenting with Amgen.

Presentations from Stop Afib, Novartis and WomenHeart are on the schedule for Sunday. Plus, the Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) Alliance will present on “Psychosocial Factors: Prequel or Sequel to Cardiovascular Disease in Younger Women?” The Patient Engagement Pavilion provides an opportunity to inform health care providers about the importance of raising public awareness about cardiovascular disease and its risk factors. It also serves to highlight the many ways the cardiovascular community, patients, lawmakers, industry, hospitals and other medical societies and patient groups are coming together around the common goal of preventing and treating heart disease. Visit CardioSmart.org/PEP2017 for more details.

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