Prioritization, Development, and Validation of American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Performance Measures.

Background: In 2014, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Quality of Care Committee was asked to develop performance measures (PMs) to assess program quality and aid in program improvement and certification.

Methods: A 3-step process was used to prioritize, develop, and then validate new PMs for both cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. First, we surveyed national leadership, medical directors, and program directors to identify and rank various American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation potential PM topics.

ACC/AHA/AACVPR/AAFP/ANA concepts for clinician-patient shared accountability in performance measures: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures.

Developed in collaboration with the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and the American Medical Association–Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement Endorsed by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

Affordability, accountability, and accessibility in health care reform: implications for cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation.

Because health care costs in the United States have been growing disproportionately compared to inflation for many years, without a clear connection to improved quality or increased access to care, employers and payers have begun to test new models of health care delivery and payment. These models are linked to the concepts of affordability, accountability, and accessibility and incorporate the premise that there must be shared responsibility for improving meaningful patient outcomes, with attention to the coordination of team-based and patient-centered care, and value for services purchased. This article explores emerging health care delivery and payment models, including expanded access to care related to the Affordable Care Act of 2010, patient-centered medical homes and neighborhoods, accountable and coordinated care organizations, and value-based purchasing and insurance design, with an emphasis on implications for cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation programs and the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

Successful outpatient cardiac rehabilitation in an adult patient post-surgical repair for tricuspid valve atresia and hypoplastic right ventricle: a case study.

Clinical Case: This case report documents outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in a 28-year-old woman born with transposition of the great vessels, tricuspid atresia, hypoplastic right ventricle, and an atrial septal defect. Surgical procedures were performed during childhood to correct these defects. In 2006, she underwent the following procedures: Fontan revision with a graft to an extracardiac total cavopulmonary connection; ASD creation; right atrial reduction; bidirectional Glenn shunt; right atrial and modified left atrial Maze procedures; and placement of an epicardial dual-chamber anti-tachycardia pacemaker.