Heart disease affects more than 1 in 10 adults and is still the number 1 cause of death in America. These statistics mask the good news in cardiac health data. In just under 50 years, the death rate from heart disease has fallen by two-thirds while the rate of deaths from strokes has dropped in the same period by fully three-quarters.
In the face of both good news and bad, the role of clinical cardiac services and catheterization labs will continue to be one of the most important determinants of patient survival rates and public health and wellness measures. Technology innovations promise to deliver better teaching and learning models in cardiovascular care. The most effective of these will be making their way into clinical practice in the near future.
Evidence-based practice drives positive results
Evidence-based medicine and research have produced (and continues to produce) a wealth of data that supports preventative measures in the form of heart disease risk reduction strategies. Public and behavioral health factors related to diet and mental health, for example, are proving to play pivotal roles as risk factors in cardiac patient outcomes.
A recent article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal highlights one such research study. According to co-author Dr. Richard Swartz, effective programs in “long-term management of modifiable risks, such as high blood pressure, monitoring, and treatment of irregular heart rhythms, quitting smoking and physical activity,” will continue to push cardiac mortality and morbidity rates lower among stroke and transient ischemic attack survivors.
Clinical leaders continue to push for improvements
Cardiac departments across the U.S. will need to continue their leading role in shaping the research and practice improvement agenda in the years to come. If the nation’s leading cause of death is to decline by the small margin over cancer into second place and continue lower from there, cardiac and cath lab clinical leaders will be among the primary drivers of that progress.
Interim senior managers can make a lasting difference
NHS Solutions has interim employment opportunities for senior health care managers and executives in cardiac departments and across the full spectrum of patient care and hospital operations management. Talk with our staffing experts today about an opportunity that’s right for you.