Synthesizing Lessons Learned From Get With The Guidelines

Abstract

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) is a trusted source of scientific information in cardiovascular medicine. The AHA/ASA has a longstanding commitment to support state-of-the-art scientific research in cardiovascular disease and stroke. The AHA/ASA has also developed a leadership role in translating cardiovascular science into internationally respected guidelines. In 2000, however, the AHA/ASA concluded that, to provide maximal benefit for patients with cardiovascular disease and those at risk, it needed to develop a rigorous approach to translating its guidelines into clinical practice. The result was a comprehensive suite of programs collectively called Get With The Guidelines (GWTG). Modeled in part on the University of California, Los Angeles Cardiovascular Hospitalization Atherosclerosis Management Program (CHAMP),1,2 GWTG was successfully piloted by the AHA in Massachusetts.3 Based on the success of the Massachusetts pilot, the AHA committed significant human and financial resources to extend the program across the United States. This commitment included the development of a national steering committee composed of AHA/ASA volunteers, and the addition of multiple modules including hospital-based management of coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, and resuscitation after in-hospital cardiac arrest. The scientific foundation of the program is the best evidence from the latest American College of Cardiology/AHA/ASA guidelines. GWTG staff work with participating hospitals to implement these guidelines by using AHA/ASA quality improvement professional consultation, workshops, and Webinars. In addition, the AHA developed sophisticated clinical databases (registries) through which hospitals and physicians collect information in real time for the assessment of quality, regional, and national benchmarking, national recognition, and the generation of new science. The AHA underwrites a portion of the costs associated with the technology platform and data collection tools to reduce the financial burden on participating sites. From the 4 GWTG disease-specific registries, >200 articles have been published in peer-reviewed journals. …