2022 Quality Summit ePosters (Non-CE) - CathPCI Registry-9. Improve Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral by Leveraging the Electronic Medical Record

9. Improve Cardiac Rehabilitation Referral by Leveraging the Electronic Medical Record

Pdf Summary

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after percutaneous interventions (PCI) is known to improve patient outcomes, but the rate of referrals for CR remains low. Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) in Pittsburgh, PA, has implemented a solution using the electronic medical record (EMR) to increase the referral rate for outpatient cardiac rehab at discharge. AGH is a 576-bed tertiary care hospital with an annual volume of 800 PCIs. The CathPCI Registry® requires a referral order for CR at the time of PCI discharge. By leveraging the EMR, AGH created an IT solution that automatically adds the CR order to the post-PCI order set, which then populates in the discharge orders. This ensures that the referral is not missed. Additionally, the closest location for CR is identified and provided to the patient at the time of discharge. extensive education is also provided to the discharging providers to emphasize the importance of CR referral.<br /><br />The results of implementing this solution have been significant. In 2020, the rate of CR referrals at discharge was 45.3%, but by 2021, it had increased to 99.3%. The value proposition of CR is highlighted by the fact that individuals who attend 36 sessions have a 47% lower risk of death and a 31% lower risk of heart attack compared to those who attend only one session. This translates to significant cost savings as well. The improvement in CR referrals at AGH supports the national goal of 70% participation in cardiac rehabilitation by eligible patients set by the Million Hearts® initiative.<br /><br />The key stakeholders involved in the implementation of this solution include hospitalists, residents, fellows, and advanced practice providers who are responsible for the discharge of PCI patients. Ongoing quality and IT meetings are scheduled to ensure continuous improvement. Real-time drill down of the CathPCI Registry dashboard is used to identify outliers and address any issues.<br /><br />Moving forward, AGH plans to implement this solution in other hospitals within their network and continue tracking the rates of CR completion. By engaging and collaborating with all specialties involved in PCI patient discharge, they aim to further improve the quality of care and outcomes in CR.

Keywords

cardiac rehabilitation

percutaneous interventions

referral rate

electronic medical record

outpatient cardiac rehab

discharge orders

IT solution

CathPCI Registry

referral order

patient outcomes