May 14, 2021 – New findings from an American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) survey revealed more than half of cardiologists (57%) believe patient preparation may lead to better quality discussions around treatment options for heart valve disease (HVD). Results from the ACC CardioSurve panelist survey, sponsored by Medtronic (Dublin, Ireland), and conducted by the American College of Cardiology, garnered responses from more than 150 cardiologists around key factors driving treatment choices for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis.
More than half of cardiologists surveyed (53%) feel that their symptomatic severe AS patients are not as informed as they should be about their treatment options.
Medtronic says the findings indicate physicians recognize the importance of shared decision making to achieve individualized care for heart valve disease patients. This reinforces new ACC/AHA Heart Valve Disease Guidelines released in December 2020, calling for shared decision-making between patients and their heart team when it comes to intervention choices – particularly the decision between TAVR and SAVR.
Nearly 75% of cardiologists surveyed who regularly treat AS patients said they discuss treatment options with their patients at the time of the diagnosis (CardioSurve). Similarly, the Active Living patient survey found that doctor/patient dialogue was the highest reported factor in determining treatment decisions. More than 90% of respondents who identified as a heart valve patient said that they are influenced by conversations with their doctors (Active Living). Yet, more than one-third of patients (37.4%) wished they asked more questions at their doctor’s appointment during their heart valve disease treatment journey (Active Living).
The top three items that cardiologists believe would better prepare their patients prior to their discussion include:
- Having a family member/friend attend the visit to take notes and ask follow-up questions (59%)
- Use of a patient decision aid (53%)
- Come with a list of questions to ask during the appointment (46%)
The most important factor to physicians when determining the best treatment option for patients is the risk of mortality (70% – CardioSurve), while nearly half of patients (49% – Active Living) cite a return to an active lifestyle as a key factor in their treatment decision.