Dubai hospitals utilize AHA’s cardiovascular improvement program

The United Arab Emirates has become the first country other than the U.S. to fully implement an American Heart Association (AHA) quality improvement program focused on cardiovascular care.

Called Get With The Guidelines, the in-hospital program improves treatment and prevents future cardiac and stroke events. The program is launching in Dubai, according to an AHA press release.

“As the country looks to position itself at the forefront of healthcare provision in the region, 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,” said Abdullah Shehab, MD, president of the Emirates Cardiac Society. “We’re confident that Get With The Guidelines will play a key role in improving the health of our community.”

More than 2,000 hospitals in the U.S. have implemented one of AHA’s quality models since 2002. More than 160 hospitals in China and Brazil are using variations.

The program includes an online assessment and reporting system that tracks a hospital’s performance in delivering the recommended treatment.

“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., MD, a past president of the AHA and a global expert in quality improvement science and programs, in a statement. “In the 15 years since we introduced the program in the United States, Get With The Guidelines has proven its efficacy in transforming patient care and has improved patient outcomes, lowered healthcare costs due to reduced readmission and increased efficiency and effectiveness across the continuum of care.”