The Quality of Veterans Healthcare Administration Cardiovascular Care.

A total of 9 million veterans receive care in a unique healthcare system, the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA), with nearly 50% reporting at least one cardiovascular disease. Despite evidence for high quality of health care in the VHA, more veteran care is being moved to the non-VHA community. An assumption of this shift in care is that the quality of non-VHA care is at least comparable to VHA care.

Predicting Mortality in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction: From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.

Background: In-hospital mortality risk prediction is an important tool for benchmarking quality and patient prognostication. Given changes in patient characteristics and treatments over time, a contemporary risk model for patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) is needed.

Methods: Data from 313 825 acute MI hospitalizations between January 2019 and December 2020 for adults aged ≥18 years at 784 sites in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry Chest Pain-MI Registry were used to develop a risk-standardized model to predict in-hospital mortality.

Improving STEMI Management Internationally: Initial Report of the American College of Cardiology-Global Heart Attack Treatment Initiative.

Background: The burden of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) worldwide is increasing as the leading cause of death; there are scant data on system-based initiatives and performance metrics relative to its management in low- and middle-income countries where resources are frequently limited.

Objectives: The Global Heart Attack Treatment Initiative (GHATI) ultimate aim is improving evidence-based STEMI care, adherence to guidelines, and tracking of clinical and institutional indicators in low- and middle-income countries. To achieve that goal, the process of care and outcomes of STEMI patients in those nations will be studied.

The under-representation of women in cardiovascular clinical trials: State-of-the-art review and ethical considerations.

This review describes and evaluates the representation of women in cardiovascular randomized controlled trials (RCT), it reports significant under-representation of women in clinical trials both as participants and researchers and discusses the ethical implications of under-representation. The under-representation of women as participants in cardiovascular RCTs is evident in trials investigating cardiovascular drugs, acute coronary syndrome, heart failure and interventional procedures and devices. Under-representation of women is also evident in the authorship of cardiovascular clinical trials and in trial leadership roles, and under-representation of women as trial investigators is independently associated with under- recruitment of women as trial participants.

Considerations in the Care of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Patients Requiring Invasive Cardiac Catheterization.

Transgender and gender diverse patients undergoing cardiac procedures require unique considerations to ensure the delivery of respectful, safe, and high-value health care. There are several issues for which practicing clinicians may have limited experience managing, including the potential interactions between gender-affirming medical and surgical interventions and cardiovascular conditions; using correct patient name and pronouns and additional strategies to increase comfort and safety of medical interventions; and nuances of cardiac clearance before gender-affirming surgeries. This article provides a primer on these topics and sets cardiologists up to learn more about the needs of transgender and gender diverse patient populations.

Program Directors Survey on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiology Fellowship Training.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed unprecedented changes to medical education, including CV fellowship programs. CV fellowship PDs offer a unique perspective regarding the impact of the pandemic on CV medical education.

Objectives: The 4th annual Cardiovascular Diseases (CV) Fellowship Program Directors (PDs) Survey sought to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CV fellows and fellowship programs.

A scoping review to explore the use of the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale.

Objectives: Patients' interactions with health care providers influence back pain-related outcomes. The Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS) is an instrument that assesses providers' attitudes and beliefs about patients with persistent back pain, with lower scores implying that persistent pain does not indicate disability or limitation of activities. This scoping review aims to explore the extent of research involving the HC-PAIRS.