Impact on patient outcomes Continuity of cardiovascular care Awareness campaign

Continuity of cardiovascular care

Given the dramatic impact on patient outcomes, cardiologists and all other healthcare practitioners should advocate for continuous invasive and non-invasive cardiac treatment during the pandemic. This can be achieved by improving communication between patients and physicians as well as between physicians themselves; adapting healthcare services to the new ‘normality’; building dedicated cardiac care pathways; and ensuring patient and healthcare provider protection against COVID transmission.

Listen to Dr Flavio Ribichini advocate the active involvement of all HCPs in adapting previous facilities, services and work methods to this new scenario.

Work group and methodology

Leveraging their respective network and experience, Dr Ribichini et al. concentrated their efforts on identifying and stratifying examples of best-practice solutions implemented by physicians and hospitals around the world. They focused on those who sought to sustain an acceptable standard of treatment for cardiac patients – both acute and chronic – despite the COVID pandemic’s constraints.

The aim was to extract and clarify general principles from these examples, which included patient and personnel safety, hospital organisations, and outpatient care, and to stratify solutions based on needs, resources, and pandemic stages.

Access key suggestions and tools for maintaining cardiovascular care

We CARE has compiled handy practical advice/tools to support HCPs worldwide. It is on open access to all those who are looking to adapt and maintain cardiovascular care during the pandemic or similar scenario.

New and enhanced communication links

Discover some easy-to-apply, practical advice for fostering effective communication; not only between physicians and patients, but also between the physicians involved in each individual case.

New pathways of care

Take a look at some examples of patient pathways implemented around the globe since the outbreak of COVID-19; then take a step back to consider what could be applied in your own institution.