Steven M. Bradley, MD, FACC, who serves as a member of the NCDR CathPCI Registry Research and Publications Subcommittee, has been involved in quality improvement efforts and research for many years.

“The opportunity to close the gap in the translation of best-evidence to clinical practice to achieve better health outcomes for patients [drew me to quality improvement],” says Bradley, who will give today’s Douglas P. Zipes, MD, MACC, Distinguished Young Awardee Scientist Lecture, on how to ensure patients receive the right therapy at the right time.

"The opportunity to close the gap in the translation of best-evidence to clinical practice to achieve better health outcomes for patients [drew me to quality improvement]." — Steven M. Bradley, MD, FACC

Bradley’s research has focused on identifying and implementing high-value cardiovascular care by achieving better patient outcomes at lower cost. According to Bradley, incentives/reimbursement are often emphasized, but research suggests “the quality of patient selection for procedural care continues to vary in the absence of fee-for-service.”

He adds that many additional factors, including provider knowledge, expectations in the referring practice, failure to adequately engage patients, lack of patient-centered outcomes, complexity of measuring the nuance of clinical practice, etc., “all contribute to real and perceived barriers in achieving the right care for the right patient at the right time.”

In his lecture – part of a larger session on stable angina – Bradley will emphasize to other clinicians pursuing quality improvement that health services, outcomes research and quality improvement are each their own science. “Quality improvement efforts that lack adequate investment in this rigorous scientific discipline will lack the backbone to stand,” he says.

The Douglas P. Zipes, MD, MACC, Distinguished Young Scientist Awardee Lecture will take place today from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. in room 143 A.

Keywords: ACC Publications, ACC Scientific Session Newspaper, Angina, Stable, Fee-for-Service Plans, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Quality Improvement, Registries, Reimbursement, Incentive