Bundled Payments for Care Improvement and Quality of Care and Outcomes in Heart Failure.

Importance: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) program was launched in 2013 with a goal to improve care quality while lowering costs to Medicare.

Objective: To compare changes in the quality and outcomes of care for patients hospitalized with heart failure according to hospital participation in the BPCI program.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study used a difference-in-difference approach to evaluate the BPCI program in 18 BPCI hospitals vs 211 same-state non-BPCI hospitals for various process-of-care measures and outcomes using American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure registry and CMS Medicare claims data from November 1, 2008, to August 31, 2018.

Medical Therapy Before, During and After Hospitalization in Medicare Beneficiaries With Heart Failure and Diabetes: Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure Registry.

Background: Patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are at risk for worsening clinical status. Little is known about the frequency of therapeutic changes during hospitalization. We characterized the use of medical therapies before, during and after hospitalization in patients with HF and DM.

Variability in Nonvitamin K Oral Anticoagulant Dose Eligibility and Adjustment According to Renal Formulae and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation With and Without Chronic Kidney Disease: Insights From ORBIT-AF II.

Background Nonvitamin K oral anticoagulants require dose adjustment based on kidney function.The most common estimate of kidney function employed in clinical practice is estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR); however, product monographs recommend the use of the Cockcroft-Gault estimated creatinine clearance (eCrCl) for dose adjustment. Methods and Results The authors included patients enrolled in the ORBIT-AF II (Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation AF II) trial.

Seasonal Variation of Atrial Fibrillation Admission and Quality of Care in the United States.

Background Currently, little is known regarding seasonal variation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in the United States and whether quality of care for AF varies between seasons. Methods and Results The GWTG-AFib (Get With The Guidelines-AFib) registry was initiated by the American Heart Association to enhance national guideline adherence for treatment and management of AF. Our analyses included 61 291 patients who were admitted at 141 participating hospitals from 2014 to 2018 across the United States.

Association of Recent Use of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants With Intracranial Hemorrhage Among Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated With Alteplase.

Importance: Current guidelines recommend against use of intravenous alteplase in patients with acute ischemic stroke who are taking non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs).

Objective: To evaluate the safety and functional outcomes of intravenous alteplase among patients who were taking NOACs prior to stroke and compare outcomes with patients who were not taking long-term anticoagulants.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A retrospective cohort study of 163 038 patients with acute ischemic stroke either taking NOACs or not taking anticoagulants prior to stroke and treated with intravenous alteplase within 4.

Association of readmission penalty amount with subsequent 30-day risk standardized readmission and mortality rates among patients hospitalized with heart failure: An analysis of get with the guidelines - heart failure participating centers.

Background: The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program penalizes hospitals with excess 30-day risk-standardized readmission rates (RSRR) for heart failure (HF). The association of financial penalty amount with subsequent short-term clinical outcomes is unknown.

Methods: Patients admitted to American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines-HF registry participating centers from October 1, 2012 through December 1, 2015 who had Medicare-linked data were included.

Achievement and quality measure attainment in patients hospitalized with atrial fibrillation: Results from The Get With The Guidelines - Atrial Fibrillation (GWTG-AFIB) registry.

Background: The Get With The Guidelines - Atrial Fibrillation (GWTG-AFIB) Registry uses achievement and quality measures to improve the care of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to evaluate overall and site-level variation in attainment of these measures among sites participating in the GWTG-AFIB Registry.

Methods: From the GWTG-AFIB registry, we included patients with AF admitted between 1/3/2013 and 6/30/2019.

Sex Differences in Ablation Strategy, Lesion Sets, and Complications of Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation: An Analysis From the GWTG-AFIB Registry.

Background: When presenting for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation, women, compared with men, tend to have more nonpulmonary vein triggers and advanced atrial disease. Whether this informs differences in AF ablation strategy is not well described. We aimed to characterize ablation strategy and complications by sex, using the Get With The Guidelines-AF registry.

Guideline-Concordant Antiarrhythmic Drug Use in the Get With The Guidelines-Atrial Fibrillation Registry.

Background: Antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF) can be associated with both proarrhythmic and noncardiovascular toxicities. Practice guidelines recommend tailored AAD therapy for AF based on patient-specific characteristics, such as coronary artery disease and heart failure, to minimize adverse events. However, current prescription patterns for specific AADs and the degree to which these guidelines are followed in practice are unknown.

Target: Stroke Was Associated With Faster Intravenous Thrombolysis and Improved One-Year Outcomes for Acute Ischemic Stroke in Medicare Beneficiaries.

Background: The benefit of intravenous thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke is time dependent. To assist hospitals in providing faster thrombolytic treatment, the American Heart Association launched target: stroke quality initiative in January 2010 which disseminated feasible strategies to shorten door-to-needle times for thrombolytic therapy. This study aimed to examine whether target: stroke was associated with improved door-to-needle times and 1-year outcomes.

Effect of Temporary Interruption of Warfarin Due to an Intervention on Downstream Time in Therapeutic Range in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation (from ORBIT AF).

The aim of this study was to quantify time in therapeutic range (TTR) before and after a temporary interruption of warfarin due to an intervention in the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). AF patients on warfarin who had a temporary interruption followed by resumption were identified. A nonparametric method for estimating survival functions for interval censored data was used to examine the first therapeutic International Normalized Ratio (INR) after interruption.

Procedural Patterns and Safety of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Findings From Get With The Guidelines-Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Catheter ablation is an increasingly used treatment for symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there are limited prospective, nationwide data on patient selection and procedural characteristics. This study describes patient characteristics, techniques, treatment patterns, and safety outcomes of patients undergoing AF ablation.

Association Between Thrombolytic Door-to-Needle Time and 1-Year Mortality and Readmission in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Importance: Earlier administration of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in acute ischemic stroke is associated with reduced mortality by the time of hospital discharge and better functional outcomes at 3 months. However, it remains unclear whether shorter door-to-needle times translate into better long-term outcomes.

Objective: To examine whether shorter door-to-needle times with intravenous tPA for acute ischemic stroke are associated with improved long-term outcomes.

Outcomes of Cardiac Catheterization in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation on Anticoagulation in Contemporary in Practice: An Analysis of the ORBIT II Registry.

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation on oral anticoagulation (OAC) undergoing cardiac catheterization face risks for embolic and bleeding events, yet information on strategies to mitigate these risks in contemporary practice is lacking.

Methods: We aimed to describe the clinical/procedural characteristics of a contemporary cohort of patients with atrial fibrillation on OAC who underwent cardiac catheterization. Use of bleeding avoidance strategies and bridging therapy were described and outcomes including death, stroke, and major bleeding at 30 days and 1 year were compared by OAC type.

Factors Associated With Large Improvements in Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Results From ORBIT-AF.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) adversely impacts health-related quality of life (hrQoL). While some patients demonstrate improvements in hrQoL, the factors associated with large improvements in hrQoL are not well described.

Methods: We assessed factors associated with a 1-year increase in the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on Quality-of-Life score of 1 SD (≥18 points; 3× clinically important difference), among outpatients in the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation I registry.

Decline in renal function and oral anticoagulation dose reduction among patients with atrial fibrillation.

Objective: Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) require dose adjustment for renal function. We sought to investigate change in renal function over time in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and whether those on NOACs have appropriate dose adjustments according to its decline.

Methods: We included patients with AF enrolled in the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation II registry treated with oral anticoagulation.

Patterns of amiodarone use and outcomes in clinical practice for atrial fibrillation.

Background: Amiodarone is the most effective antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) for atrial fibrillation (AF), but it has a high incidence of adverse effects.

Methods: Using the ORBIT AF registry, patients with AF on amiodarone at enrollment, prescribed amiodarone during follow-up, or never on amiodarone were analyzed for the proportion treated with a guideline-based indication for amiodarone, the variability in amiodarone use across sites, and the outcomes (mortality, hospitalization, and stroke) among patients treated with amiodarone. Hierarchical logistic regression modeling with site-specific random intercepts compared rates of amiodarone use across 170 sites.

Effects of Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation In-Home Therapy Compared with Traditional Care After Total Knee Arthroplasty: VERITAS, a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Financial burden for patients, providers, and payers can reduce access to physical therapy (PT) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of a virtual PT program on health-care costs and clinical outcomes as compared with traditional care after TKA.

Methods: At least 10 days before unilateral TKA, patients from 4 clinical sites were enrolled and randomized 1:1 to the virtual PT program (involving an avatar [digitally simulated] coach, in-home 3-dimensional biometrics, and telerehabilitation with remote clinician oversight by a physical therapist) or to traditional PT care in the home or outpatient clinic.

Association Between Time to Treatment With Endovascular Reperfusion Therapy and Outcomes in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated in Clinical Practice.

Importance: Randomized clinical trials suggest benefit of endovascular-reperfusion therapy for large vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is time dependent, but the extent to which it influences outcome and generalizability to routine clinical practice remains uncertain.

Objective: To characterize the association of speed of treatment with outcome among patients with AIS undergoing endovascular-reperfusion therapy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Retrospective cohort study using data prospectively collected from January 2015 to December 2016 in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke nationwide US quality registry, with final follow-up through April 15, 2017.

Comparative Effectiveness of β-Blocker Use Beyond 3 Years After Myocardial Infarction and Long-Term Outcomes Among Elderly Patients.

Background: The benefit of β-blocker use beyond 3 years after a myocardial infarction (MI) has not been clearly determined.

Methods And Results: Using data from the CRUSADE Registry (Can Rapid Risk Stratification of Unstable Angina Patients Suppress Adverse Outcomes With Early Implementation of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines) linked with Medicare claims, we studied patients ≥65 years of age with MI, discharged on β-blocker therapy and alive 3 years later without a recurrent MI to evaluate β-blocker use and dose (none, <50%, and ≥50% of the recommended target) at 3 years. Using inverse probability of treatment weighting, we then examined the adjusted association between β-blocker use (and dose) at 3 years and the cardiovascular composite of all-cause mortality, hospitalization for recurrent MI, ischemic stroke, or heart failure over the subsequent 5 years.

Association Between Warfarin Control Metrics and Atrial Fibrillation Outcomes in the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation.

Importance: Bleeding and thrombotic events (eg, stroke and systemic embolism) are common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) taking warfarin sodium despite a well-established therapeutic range.

Objective: To evaluate whether history of therapeutic warfarin control in patients with AF is independently associated with subsequent bleeding or thrombotic events.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this multicenter cohort study of 176 primary care, cardiology, and electrophysiology clinics in the United States, data were obtained during 51 830 visits among 10 137 patients with AF in the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (ORBIT-AF) Registry; 5545 patients treated with warfarin were included in the bleeding analysis, and 5635 patients were included in the thrombotic event analysis.

Defining Clinically Important Difference in the Atrial Fibrillation Effect on Quality-of-Life Score.

Background The Atrial Fibrillation Effect on Quality-of-Life (AFEQT) questionnaire has recently been validated to measure the impact of atrial fibrillation on quality of life, but a clinically important difference in AFEQT score has not been well defined. Methods and Results To determine the clinically important difference in overall AFEQT (score range= 0 [worst] to 100 [best]) and selected subscales, we analyzed data in the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (ORBIT-AF) registry, a United States-based outpatient atrial fibrillation registry. AFEQT was assessed at baseline and 1 year in a subset of 1347 ORBIT-AF patients from 80 US sites participating in ORBIT-AF from June 2010 to August 2011.

Association of frailty and cognitive impairment with benefits of oral anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: The incidence of cognitive impairment and frailty increase with age and may impact both therapy and outcomes in atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: We examined the prevalence of clinically recognized cognitive impairment and frailty (as defined by the American Geriatric Society Criteria) in the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Care in AF (ORBIT AF) and associated adjusted outcomes via multivariable Cox regression. The interaction between cognitive impairment and frailty and oral anticoagulation (OAC) in determining outcomes was examined.

Association of Race/Ethnicity With Oral Anticoagulant Use in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Findings From the Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation II.

Importance: Black and Hispanic patients are less likely than white patients to use oral anticoagulants for atrial fibrillation. Little is known about racial/ethnic differences in use of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for atrial fibrillation.

Objective: To assess racial/ethnic differences in the use of oral anticoagulants, particularly DOACs, in patients with atrial fibrillation.