This post was authored by Gregory J. Dehmer, MD, MACC, chair of the NCDR Public Reporting Advisory Group.

In this era of health care transparency, patients and their families want access to credible information about quality of care to help them make informed decisions. Recognizing this trend, the ACC spent several years developing a program to bring important information about the quality of care provided at NCDR hospitals to the public. In addition to empowering patients to take an active role in their care decisions, ACC’s public reporting program, which U.S. News and World Report called an “initial step towards transformational transparency,” incentivizes clinicians and health care organizations to improve quality of care.

Hospital data on several measures related to percutaneous coronary intervention and implantable cardioverter defibrillator procedures are now publicly available through Find Your Heart a Home, powered by CardioSmart. Similar to how people can research hotels and restaurants online, Find Your Heart a Home enables patients and their caregivers to search and select hospitals based on the cardiac services provided and data related to the quality of care delivered.

Coinciding with American Heart Month, the ACC has launched a patient-facing marketing campaign in select U.S. cities to encourage cardiac patients and caregivers to use Find Your Heart a Home to find the right hospital for their needs. As part of this pilot campaign, the ACC is rolling out digital ads, engaging with local and national media and participating in community events. Get a preview of the campaign. Additionally, the ACC has partnered with the MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, and Rose Medical Center in Denver, CO, on the Find Your Heart a Home campaign. As partners in the pilot program, these hospitals are further demonstrating their dedication to quality improvement, transparency, and patient and provider engagement.

https://youtu.be/A9HE5CoCafo

As health care professionals, patients and caregivers rely on our expertise when making cardiac care decisions. Find Your Heart a Home arms us with credible information about hospitals nationwide so that we can work together with our patients to make informed cardiac care decisions.

I encourage you to visit FindYourHeartaHome.org to explore the tool and search for your hospital’s profile. If your facility is not yet publicly reporting, you can still take part in this groundbreaking effort. To submit a data release consent form for the CathPCI Registry, click here. For the ICD Registry, click here.

Also, be sure to mark your calendar for a special Heart Month Twitter Chat on patient engagement, shared decision making and Find Your Heart a Home. The chat will take place on Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. ET. To join the conversation, use hashtag #CardioChat.

This post is part of ACC’s American Heart Month Blog Series. Stay tuned to the ACC in Touch Blog throughout Heart Month for additional posts on patient engagement.

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