American College of Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society launch new efforts to boost AFib care in underserved areas
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) have announced a new collaboration focused on improving atrial fibrillation (AFib) care in underserved communities.
The groups, working alongside the Bristol Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance, are launching TRANSFORM: Atrial Fibrillation Quality Initiative, or TRANSFORM AF. This new initiative aims to help healthcare doctors and health systems in underserved parts of the United States adopt guideline-directed medical therapy in key patient populations. Over the course of 18 months, specialists will use telehealth, patient monitoring solutions and virtual care to work with clinicians; lessons learned during that time will then go toward developing new tools and educational interventions for finding AFib patients as early as possible and providing them with the treatments they need.
“Early and effective treatment is critical for appropriate management of AFib, but some communities are disproportionately impacted by this disease because of low rates of early intervention,” James Januzzi, MD, TRANSFORM AF co-chair and a member of ACC Board of Trustees, said in a prepared statement. “Through TRANSFORM: AF, we’re giving clinicians tools to better understand AFib risks to improve treatment decisions and monitoring for future complications in a way that meets vulnerable patients where they are.”
“TRANSFORM AF provides us a unique opportunity to use telemedicine and artificial intelligence to better identify, risk stratify and treat the underserved vulnerable population, enabling collaborative and patient-centered care,” added Jagmeet Singh, MD, PhD, TRANSFORM AF co-chair and a member of the HRS Governance Committee.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.