The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has launched its Get With The Guidelines in the U.A.E. This is the first region outside the U.S. that will be implementing this cardiovascular hospital care quality improvement program.
See Also: AHA's Collaborative Platform on Cardiovascular Disease
The programme is believed to benefit patients as it provides both public and private hospitals quality improvement professional consultation, workshops and guideline-based webinars.
The Get with The Guidelines programme was launched in the U.S. in 2002 and is an evidence-based, in-hospital continuous quality improvement process that is geared toward improving patient treatment and preventing future cardiovascular and stroke events by adhering to latest treatment guidelines.
Several variations of the programme are already benefiting thousands of patients in 160 hospitals across China and Brazil. Over 2000 hospitals in the U.S. have also implemented at least one module of this programme that has already benefited around 6 million patients.
"The AHA has always worked to make a difference in the lives of patients with cardiovascular in the U.S and around the world. The global expansion of our Get With the Guidelines program is the next step in our journey towards fulfilling the goal to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke," said Sidney C. Smith, Jr., M.D., a past president of the AHA and a global expert in quality improvement science and programmes.
During the 15 years since its introduction, the Get With The Guidelines programme has proven its effectiveness and has been able to transform patient care and improve patient outcomes. In addition, the programme has also resulted in lower healthcare costs, reduced readmissions as well as an overall increase in the efficiency and effectiveness across the continuum of care.
The programme is based on an online, interactive assessment and reporting system. Data is submitted online and is collected and monitored to determine hospital compliance with guidelines-based therapies so that best practices are adopted and care is improved overall. All data collection and feedback is performed online using the AHA's Interaction Patient Management Tool.
This programme has helped improve tools and processes and has enabled hospitals and providers to improve treatment strategies and practice. Data from Get With The Guidelines have resulted in over 375 scientific publications that have advanced cardiovascular health.
Dr. Abdullah Shehab, President of the Emirates Cardiac Society has also shown his support for the programme. "It's critical that we bring in the right tools that will help curb the effects of the noncommunicable diseases--especially cardiovascular disease--and improve outcomes for both patients and providers. We're confident that Get With The Guidelines will play a key role in improving the health of our community."
It is believed that such efforts play an important role in supporting the World Health Organization's goal to reduce premature death and disability from noncommunicable diseases by 25 percent by 2025.
Source: American Heart Association
Image Credit: American Heart Association
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American Heart Association, Get With The Guidelines, cardiovascular hospital care quality improvement program, U.A.E.
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has launched its Get With The Guidelines in the U.A.E. This is the first region outside the U.S. that will be implementing this cardiovascular hospital care quality improvement program.
