From Metrics to Meaning: Aligning QI with Patient-Centered Care - 2025 Quality Summit Presentation (Non-CE)-From Metrics to Meaning: Aligning QI with Patient-Centered Care

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The session focused on integrating patient-centered care with quality improvement in cardiology. Dr. Larry Allen highlighted the disconnect in the U.S. healthcare system, which excels in research but underperforms in patient outcomes and satisfaction. He criticized the overemphasis on standardization and urged incorporating patient preferences, quality of life, and context—such as multi-morbidity and social determinants—into quality metrics. Allen emphasized shared decision-making, advocating for decisions aligned with individual patient values rather than uniform guidelines.<br /><br />Dr. Ruth Masterson-Kreber underscored the importance of engaging patients and families as partners in quality improvement to enhance relevance, equity, and sustainability. She described two PCORI-funded trials targeting underrepresented populations, especially women and minorities, where patient and community advisory boards shaped study design and implementation, ensuring interventions reflected patient priorities and overcome barriers like language and socio-economic challenges.<br /><br />Dr. Tina Pittman-Wagers, a SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection) survivor and clinical psychologist, described SCAD’s unique challenges. SCAD disproportionately affects younger women without traditional cardiac risk factors and leads to significant psychological distress including anxiety, depression, and PTSD. She stressed the need for better patient education, psychosocial support, tailored cardiac rehab, and evidence-based guidelines that incorporate patient experiences and preferences. The multisite ARISE study exemplifies collaborative efforts to develop interventions addressing stress and emotional recovery post-SCAD.<br /><br />Panel discussions emphasized the necessity of listening to patients, assessing shared decision-making quality, and balancing clinical evidence with individual health literacy and preferences. Kaiser Permanente’s experience illustrated integrating patient feedback into clinician evaluations and promoting team-based care. Overall, the session called for systemic shifts toward meaningful patient engagement to drive higher-quality, equitable, and person-centered cardiovascular care.

Keywords

Cath PCI

intravascular imaging

cardiovascular care

Dr. David Kanzari

IVUS

OCT

percutaneous coronary intervention

coronary CT angiography

CTFFR

patient-centered care

quality improvement

cardiology

shared decision-making

patient engagement

health disparities

SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection)

psychosocial support

multimorbidity

Kaiser Permanente