A Quality Improvement Initiative for Increasing Cardiac Rehabilitation Referrals Using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Methodology.

Background: Cardiovascular rehabilitation has been shown to improve morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiac illnesses; however, the referral rate for eligible patients at Tulane Medical Center has remained below best practice standards.

Methods: This is a single-center, quality-improvement study conducted from January 2020 through December 2020, with historical controls from 2019. Using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle methodology, interventions were designed to improve referral rates for cardiac rehabilitation-eligible patients.

Pharmacological rhythm versus rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure: the CASTLE-AF trial.

Background: The value of antiarrhythmics to maintain normal sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) is still being debated. We aimed to determine whether rhythm control using antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) is more effective than rate control in improving outcomes in this population.

Method: In this sub-analysis of the CASTLE-AF study, we included patients that were treated pharmacologically either to maintain sinus rhythm or to achieve rate control.