How Would You Manage HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis in This Patient With Medical Comorbidities? : Grand Rounds Discussion From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Despite advances in treatment, HIV infection remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality, with more than 30 000 new cases diagnosed in the United States each year. There are several interventions traditionally used to prevent HIV transmission, but these vary in effectiveness and there are challenges to their implementation. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published initial guidance on the use of antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent transmission of HIV infection in persons at risk based on multiple studies that showed it to be highly efficacious in various populations. It was updated in 2021 to reflect new drug options. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force also recently updated its recommendations for PrEP, which strongly support its use in persons at risk. Despite its well-established effectiveness, the implementation of PrEP in clinical practice has been variable, especially among populations underserved by the medical system and marginalized by society. Fewer than one third of persons in the United States who are eligible for PrEP currently receive it. Here, 2 physicians experienced in HIV PrEP debate how best to identify patients who might benefit from PrEP, how to decide what regimen to use, and how to monitor therapy.

Use of Rounding Checklists to Improve Communication and Collaboration in the Adult Intensive Care Unit: An Integrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care units are complex settings that require effective communication and collaboration among professionals in many disciplines. Rounding checklists are frequently used during interprofessional rounds and have been shown to positively affect patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To identify and summarize the evidence related to the following practice question: In an adult intensive care unit, does the use of a rounding checklist during interprofessional rounds affect the perceived level of staff collaboration or communication? METHODS: An integrative review was performed to address the practice question. No parameters were set for publication year or specific study design. Studies were included if they were set in adult intensive care units, involved the use of a structured rounding checklist, and had measured outcomes that included staff collaboration, communication, or both. RESULTS: Seven studies with various designs were included in the review. Of the 7 studies, 6 showed that use of rounding checklists improved staff collaboration, communication, or both. These results have a variety of practice implications, including the potential for better patient outcomes and staff retention. CONCLUSIONS: Given the complexity of the critical care setting, optimizing teamwork is essential. The evidence from this review indicates that the use of a relatively simple rounding checklist tool during interprofessional rounds can improve perceived collaboration and communication in adult intensive care units.

Impacto de la implementación de un método de traspaso de información estandarizada interdisciplinar en sala de partos y unidad de cuidados obstétricos intermedios / Impact of the implementation of a standardised interdisciplinary information transfer method in the Delivery room and Intermediate Obstetric Care Unit

Objetivo Este estudio tiene como objetivo describir la implementación de la metodología estandarizada en la transferencia de información en sala de partos y unidad de cuidados obstétricos intermedios en un hospital de tercer nivel de Barcelona e identificar el impacto de esta implementación en los factores que actúan como facilitadores y barreras en el procedimiento. Método Estudio cuasiexperimental tipo pretest-postest sin grupo control en la unidad de cuidados obstétricos intermedios y sala de partos del servicio de Medicina Maternofetal de un hospital de tercer nivel de Barcelona. El personal sanitario autocumplimentó un cuestionario ad hoc antes y después de implementar la metodología estandarizada IDEAS en el servicio durante 2019 y 2020. Se evaluó la autopercepción personal en el procedimiento de transferencia de información. El test de Wilcoxon por pares se utilizó para la comparación antes y después. Resultados El uso de una metodología estandarizada ha mostrado un impacto en la mejora de la transmisión de la información. Se detectaron diferencias significativas antes y después de la intervención en las siguientes dimensiones: ubicación, personas implicadas, periodo de tiempo del procedimiento, estructurada ordenada y clara y tiempo suficiente para preguntas (p<0,001); mientras que no se observaron diferencias en transmisión al profesional referente, actuaciones bien definidas y realización de un resumen. Conclusiones Existen factores, como aspectos estructurales, organizativos y falta de tiempo, que dificultan la comunicación efectiva, por tanto, actúan como barreras en la transferencia de información. La implementación de una metodología con las personas implicadas, el tiempo y el espacio adecuado permite mejorar aspectos en la comunicación en el equipo multiprofesional y, por tanto, la seguridad del paciente. (AU)

Aim This study aims to describe the implementation of the standard methodology for information transfer in the labour ward and Intermediate Obstetric Care Unit and to identify the impact of this implementation on the factors that act as facilitators and barriers in the procedure. Method Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study without a control group in an Intermediate Obstetric Care Unit and delivery room of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Service of a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Healthcare staff self-completed an ad hoc questionnaire before and after implementing the standardised IDEAS methodology in the service during 2019 and 2020. Personal self-perception in the information transfer procedure was assessed. The Wilcoxon pairwise test was used for comparison before and after. Results The use of a standardised methodology has shown an impact on improving the transmission of information. Significant differences were detected before and after the intervention in the following dimensions: location, people involved, time period of the procedure, structured, orderly and clear, and sufficient time for questions (p<0.001); while no differences were observed in: transmission to the referring professional, well-defined actions, and completion of a summary. Conclusions There are factors such as structural and organisational aspects and lack of time that hinder effective communication and therefore act as barriers to the transfer of information. The implementation of a methodology with the health professionals involved, the time and the appropriate space allows for the improvement of communication aspects in the multiprofessional team and, therefore, patient safety. (AU)

Impacto de la implementación de un método de traspaso de información estandarizada interdisciplinar en sala de partos y unidad de cuidados obstétricos intermedios / Impact of the implementation of a standardised interdisciplinary information transfer method in the Delivery room and Intermediate Obstetric Care Unit

Objetivo Este estudio tiene como objetivo describir la implementación de la metodología estandarizada en la transferencia de información en sala de partos y unidad de cuidados obstétricos intermedios en un hospital de tercer nivel de Barcelona e identificar el impacto de esta implementación en los factores que actúan como facilitadores y barreras en el procedimiento. Método Estudio cuasiexperimental tipo pretest-postest sin grupo control en la unidad de cuidados obstétricos intermedios y sala de partos del servicio de Medicina Maternofetal de un hospital de tercer nivel de Barcelona. El personal sanitario autocumplimentó un cuestionario ad hoc antes y después de implementar la metodología estandarizada IDEAS en el servicio durante 2019 y 2020. Se evaluó la autopercepción personal en el procedimiento de transferencia de información. El test de Wilcoxon por pares se utilizó para la comparación antes y después. Resultados El uso de una metodología estandarizada ha mostrado un impacto en la mejora de la transmisión de la información. Se detectaron diferencias significativas antes y después de la intervención en las siguientes dimensiones: ubicación, personas implicadas, periodo de tiempo del procedimiento, estructurada ordenada y clara y tiempo suficiente para preguntas (p<0,001); mientras que no se observaron diferencias en transmisión al profesional referente, actuaciones bien definidas y realización de un resumen. Conclusiones Existen factores, como aspectos estructurales, organizativos y falta de tiempo, que dificultan la comunicación efectiva, por tanto, actúan como barreras en la transferencia de información. La implementación de una metodología con las personas implicadas, el tiempo y el espacio adecuado permite mejorar aspectos en la comunicación en el equipo multiprofesional y, por tanto, la seguridad del paciente. (AU)

Aim This study aims to describe the implementation of the standard methodology for information transfer in the labour ward and Intermediate Obstetric Care Unit and to identify the impact of this implementation on the factors that act as facilitators and barriers in the procedure. Method Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study without a control group in an Intermediate Obstetric Care Unit and delivery room of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Service of a tertiary hospital in Barcelona. Healthcare staff self-completed an ad hoc questionnaire before and after implementing the standardised IDEAS methodology in the service during 2019 and 2020. Personal self-perception in the information transfer procedure was assessed. The Wilcoxon pairwise test was used for comparison before and after. Results The use of a standardised methodology has shown an impact on improving the transmission of information. Significant differences were detected before and after the intervention in the following dimensions: location, people involved, time period of the procedure, structured, orderly and clear, and sufficient time for questions (p<0.001); while no differences were observed in: transmission to the referring professional, well-defined actions, and completion of a summary. Conclusions There are factors such as structural and organisational aspects and lack of time that hinder effective communication and therefore act as barriers to the transfer of information. The implementation of a methodology with the health professionals involved, the time and the appropriate space allows for the improvement of communication aspects in the multiprofessional team and, therefore, patient safety. (AU)

Exploring formal and informal learning opportunities during morning report: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Morning reports are an essential component of physicians' daily work. Attending morning reports is prioritized by junior doctors as it provides them with an opportunity to learn diagnostic reasoning through discussion of cases. While teaching formats during morning reports have previously been reported, an in-depth analysis of what learning opportunities exist, e.g., how teaching is enacted during morning reports, is lacking. This qualitative study explores learning opportunities during morning reports. METHODS: We used an explorative design based on video-recordings of 23 morning reports from two surgical departments, an internal medicine department and an emergency department. We used thematic analysis combined with and inspired by Eraut's theoretical framework of workplace learning. RESULTS: Both formal and informal learning opportunities were identified. Formal learning opportunities had the character of planned teaching activities, and we identified four themes: (1) modes of teaching, (2) structure, (3) presenter role, and (4) participant involvement. Informal learning, on the other hand, was often implicit and reactive, while deliberate learning opportunities were rare. The data showed many missed opportunities for learning. CONCLUSION: Both formal and informal learning opportunities are present during morning reports. However, a prevalent focus on medical topics exists, leaving other important aspects of the medical role under-discussed. Pedagogical methods could be employed more optimally, and harnessing the potential of missed opportunities should be encouraged.

How Would You Prevent Subsequent Strokes in This Patient? Grand Rounds Discussion From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Stroke is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and disability. The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association recently published updated guidelines on secondary stroke prevention. In these rounds, 2 vascular neurologists use the case of Mr. S, a 75-year-old man with a history of 2 strokes, to discuss and debate questions in the guideline concerning intensity of atrial fibrillation monitoring in embolic stroke of undetermined source, diagnosis and management of moderate symptomatic carotid stenosis, and therapeutic strategies for recurrent embolic stroke of undetermined source in the setting of guideline-concordant therapy.

Family Perceptions of Virtual Family-Centered Rounds in a Quaternary Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

Background: Family-centered rounds (FCR) reduce the risk of psychological comorbidities of family members and improve the quality of communication between providers and families. Materials and methods: We conducted a pilot quality improvement study analyzing family perceptions of virtual FCR. Family members of previously admitted cardiac ICU patients who participated in at least one session of virtual FCR between April 2020 and June 2021 at Massachusetts General Hospital were surveyed post-ICU discharge. Results: During the study, 82 family members enrolled and participated in virtual FCR with 29 completing the post-admission telephone survey. Many cardiac ICU patients were male (n = 53), and a majority were discharged home (43%) with the patient's wives being the most common respondents to the questionnaire (n = 18). Across all questions in the survey, more than 75% of the respondents perceived the highest level of care in trust, communication, relationship, and compassion with their provider. Participants perceived the highest level of care in trust (96%), explanation (88%), as well as care and understanding (89%). Conclusions: Family members of cardiac ICU patients positively rated the quality of communication and perceived a high level of trust and communication between their providers on the virtual format.

Gamification in medical education: identifying and prioritizing key elements through Delphi method.

BACKGROUND: Gamification has gained popularity in medical education, but key elements have not been formally identified. This study aimed to generate and prioritize a list of key elements of gamification in medical education. METHODS: This study utilized a two-stage approach, including the Delphi method and qualitative interview. Nineteen medical educators with expertise in gamification participated in the Delphi method stage. Experts who had more than three years of experience with gamification in medical education constituted the expert panel. The experts were then asked to rate the gamification elements using the Likert five-point scale through at least two consensus-seeking rounds. Consensus for key elements was predefined as ≥ 51% of respondents rating an element as 'important' or"very important." In the qualitative interview stage, 10 experts provided feedback on the application of these key gamification elements. RESULTS: Eighteen participants (11 males and 7 females) completed the entire Delphi process for this study. After two rounds of surveys, the consensus was reached on all elements. Thirteen elements scored more than 4 points (37%) and reached the criteria of key elements of gamification in medical education. The top five key elements were integration with instruction objectives, game rules, rapid feedback, fairness, and points/scoring. The thirteen key elements for successful gamification in medical education were further organized into two main categories: (1) gamification design principles and (2) game mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Integration with educational objectives, gamification in curriculum design and teaching methods, and balancing between the mechanisms and principles were the three key components for successful gamification. This study explored the gamification key elements, providing practical tips for medical educators in their efforts to gamify medical education. Future studies involving learners could be performed to examine the efficacy of these key elements in gamification.

Implementing a Family-Centered Rounds Intervention Using Novel Mentor-Trios.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patient and Family Centered I-PASS (PFC I-PASS) emphasizes family and nurse engagement, health literacy, and structured communication on family-centered rounds organized around the I-PASS framework (Illness severity-Patient summary-Action items-Situational awareness-Synthesis by receiver). We assessed adherence, safety, and experience after implementing PFC I-PASS using a novel "Mentor-Trio" implementation approach with multidisciplinary parent-nurse-physician teams coaching sites. METHODS: Hybrid Type II effectiveness-implementation study from 2/29/19-3/13/22 with ≥3 months of baseline and 12 months of postimplementation data collection/site across 21 US community and tertiary pediatric teaching hospitals. We conducted rounds observations and surveyed nurses, physicians, and Arabic/Chinese/English/Spanish-speaking patients/parents. RESULTS: We conducted 4557 rounds observations and received 2285 patient/family, 1240 resident, 819 nurse, and 378 attending surveys. Adherence to all I-PASS components, bedside rounding, written rounds summaries, family and nurse engagement, and plain language improved post-implementation (13.0%-60.8% absolute increase by item), all P < .05. Except for written summary, improvements sustained 12 months post-implementation. Resident-reported harms/1000-resident-days were unchanged overall but decreased in larger hospitals (116.9 to 86.3 to 72.3 pre versus early- versus late-implementation, P = .006), hospitals with greater nurse engagement on rounds (110.6 to 73.3 to 65.3, P < .001), and greater adherence to I-PASS structure (95.3 to 73.6 to 72.3, P < .05). Twelve of 12 measures of staff safety climate improved (eg, "excellent"/"very good" safety grade improved from 80.4% to 86.3% to 88.0%), all P < .05. Patient/family experience and teaching were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals successfully used Mentor-Trios to implement PFC I-PASS. Family/nurse engagement, safety climate, and harms improved in larger hospitals and hospitals with better nurse engagement and intervention adherence. Patient/family experience and teaching were not affected.

"We're all truly pulling in the exact same direction": A qualitative study of attending and resident physician impressions of structured bedside interdisciplinary rounds.

BACKGROUND: Physicians often hold leadership roles in implementing interdisciplinary rounds (IDR) in clinical settings, thus understanding physician perspectives of bedside IDR is crucial. OBJECTIVE: To understand physicians' perspectives of structured bedside IDR. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Medical and transitional year resident and hospitalist physicians participating in structured bedside IDR in a community teaching hospital affiliated with a large academic center. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with study participants about their experiences with participating in structured bedside IDR between July 2017 and April 2018. All interviews were recorded and professionally transcribed. We used thematic analysis to identify key themes. RESULTS: We interviewed 41 resident physicians and 10 hospitalist physicians and discovered five key themes that highlight physician impressions of bedside IDR. Bedside IDR decreased unnecessary care, screened for risks/errors, created a shared mental model of care, and increased physician empathy for the patient and the interprofessional care team. Physicians felt patients valued the streamlined communication they experienced but questioned the intrusiveness of large healthcare teams. Challenges to bedside IDR included the meaningful engagement of key stakeholders and, particularly for resident physicians, the difficultly of managing unstandardized communication in a standardized time-sensitive setting. CONCLUSIONS: Structured bedside IDR have the capacity to improve patient care, interprofessional teamwork, and physician empathy for patients and the interprofessional team. However, sustained leadership support and clearly defined rounds goals and objectives are necessary ingredients to maximize the benefits and address the challenges of bedside IDR.

Initiative to increase family presence and participation in daily rounds on a paediatric acute care cardiology unit.

INTRODUCTION: Family-centred rounds benefit families and clinicians and improve outcomes in general paediatrics, but are understudied in subspecialty settings. We sought to improve family presence and participation in rounds in a paediatric acute care cardiology unit. METHODS: We created operational definitions for family presence, our process measure, and participation, our outcome measure, and gathered baseline data over 4 months of 2021. Our SMART aim was to increase mean family presence from 43 to 75% and mean family participation from 81 to 90% by 30 May, 2022. We tested interventions with iterative plan-do-study-act cycles between 6 January, 2022 and 20 May, 2022, including provider education, calling families not at bedside, and adjustment to rounding presentations. We visualised change over time relative to interventions with statistical control charts. We conducted a high census days subanalysis. Length of stay and time of transfer from the ICU served as balancing measures. RESULTS: Mean presence increased from 43 to 83%, demonstrating special cause variation twice. Mean participation increased from 81 to 96%, demonstrating special cause variation once. Mean presence and participation were lower during high census (61 and 93% at project end) but improved with special cause variation. Length of stay and time of transfer remained stable. CONCLUSIONS: Through our interventions, family presence and participation in rounds improved without apparent unintended consequences. Family presence and participation may improve family and staff experience and outcomes; future research is warranted to evaluate this. Development of high level of reliability interventions may further improve family presence and participation, particularly on high census days.

Grand rounds in methodology: key considerations for implementing machine learning solutions in quality improvement initiatives.

Machine learning (ML) solutions are increasingly entering healthcare. They are complex, sociotechnical systems that include data inputs, ML models, technical infrastructure and human interactions. They have promise for improving care across a wide range of clinical applications but if poorly implemented, they may disrupt clinical workflows, exacerbate inequities in care and harm patients. Many aspects of ML solutions are similar to other digital technologies, which have well-established approaches to implementation. However, ML applications present distinct implementation challenges, given that their predictions are often complex and difficult to understand, they can be influenced by biases in the data sets used to develop them, and their impacts on human behaviour are poorly understood. This manuscript summarises the current state of knowledge about implementing ML solutions in clinical care and offers practical guidance for implementation. We propose three overarching questions for potential users to consider when deploying ML solutions in clinical care: (1) Is a clinical or operational problem likely to be addressed by an ML solution? (2) How can an ML solution be evaluated to determine its readiness for deployment? (3) How can an ML solution be deployed and maintained optimally? The Quality Improvement community has an essential role to play in ensuring that ML solutions are translated into clinical practice safely, effectively, and ethically.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Grand Rounds Attendance: Comparison of In-Person and Remote Conferences.

BACKGROUND: Many academic medical centers transitioned from in-person to remote conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the impact on faculty attendance is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate changes in attendance at medical grand rounds (MGR) following the transition from an in-person to remote format and as a function of the COVID-19 census at Vanderbilt Medical Center. METHODS: We obtained the faculty attendee characteristics from Department of Medicine records. Attendance was recorded using a SMS text message-based system. The daily COVID-19 census was recorded independently by hospital administration. The main attendance metric was the proportion of eligible faculty that attended each MGR. Comparisons were made for the entire cohort and for individual faculty. RESULTS: The observation period was from March 2019 to June 2021 and included 101 MGR conferences with more than 600 eligible faculty. Overall attendance was unchanged during the in-person and remote formats (12,536/25,808, 48.6% vs 16,727/32,680, 51.2%; P=.44) and did not change significantly during a surge in the COVID-19 census. Individual faculty members attendance rates varied widely. Absolute differences between formats were less than -20% or greater than 20% for one-third (160/476, 33.6%) of faculty. Pulmonary or critical care faculty attendance increased during the remote format compared to in person (1450/2616, 55.4% vs 1004/2045, 49.1%; P<.001). A cloud-based digital archive of MGR lectures was accessed by <1% of faculty per conference. CONCLUSIONS: Overall faculty attendance at MGR did not change following the transition to a remote format, regardless of the COVID-19 census, but individual attendance habits fluctuated in a bidirectional manner. Incentivizing the use of a digital archive may represent an opportunity to increase faculty consumption of MGR.

A Massive Venlafaxine Intoxication: Evolution of Cardiac Toxicity with Venlafaxine and O-Desmethylvenlafaxine Elimination Kinetics: A Grand Round.

BACKGROUND: This study presents the case of a 19-year-old woman who attempted suicide by ingesting 11.25 g of venlafaxine (V). She was admitted to the hospital with severe biventricular dysfunction, progressing to cardiac arrest requiring extracorporeal circulatory life support for 11 days. The pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine during impaired cardiac output and the effect of its active metabolite, the O-desmethylvenlafaxine (ODV), are currently not very well understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: Serum concentrations of V and ODV were monitored twice daily for 3 weeks. The maximum concentrations of venlafaxine and ODV were at 14 hours after ingestion, with 29,180 mcg/L for V and 5399 mcg/L for ODV. Half-lives increased, requiring 2 weeks to eliminate the drug. The left ventricular ejection fraction significantly improved when V + ODV was below 1000 mcg/L and remained altered until the ODV concentrations were lower than 400 mcg/L. CONCLUSIONS: This report, with complete elimination kinetic of V and ODV in a monodrug intoxication, provides information about the modification of pharmacokinetics in the case of an overdose managed by extracorporeal circulatory life support, the cardiac toxicity of ODV, and the value of the toxic threshold for the active moiety.

Impact of a Grand Rounds Interprofessional Workshop: student perceptions of interprofessional socialization and cultural humility.

While uniprofessional education programs develop strong student identities, they may limit the development of behaviors needed for interprofessional socialization. Interprofessional education (IPE) creates an essential platform for student engagement in the development of interprofessional socialization and cultural humility, thus enabling improvement in collaborative communication. In this quasi-experimental observational study, health professional students attended one of three Grand Rounds Interprofessional Workshops (GRIW) and completed online pre- and post-workshop surveys including sociodemographic background, the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale (ISVS), and the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Checklist (CCSAC). A total of 394 students from eight professions participated in the workshop with 287 (73%) of attendees completing both pre- and post-workshop surveys. No significant differences were observed in ISVS and CCSAC scores between students across workshops. Significant pre- to post-workshop differences were found in ISVS [t (284) = 13.5, p < .001, 95%], CCSAC [t (286) = 13.8, p < .001] and the cultural competence components of cultural awareness [t (285) = 12.9, p < .001, 95%], knowledge [t (285) = 9.5, p < .001, 95%], and skills [t (286) = 13.3, p < .001, 95%]. Interprofessional education learning opportunities that integrate socialization with health professional students and cultural humility education can improve educational awareness of cultural values and communication for collaborative professional practice.

Haitian State Hospital Orthopedic Grand Rounds Series: A Virtual Curriculum to Address Global Surgery Needs.

Background: Orthopedic Relief Services International (ORSI), in partnership with the Foundation for Orthopedic Trauma and the department of Orthopedic Surgery of La Paix University Hospital in Haiti, has developed a year-round Orthopedic Grand Round series. This series is moderated by Haitian faculty, features presentations by American orthopedic surgeons, and is broadcast to major state hospitals in Haiti for residents and attendings. Objective: To introduce clinical concepts and increase knowledge in an area that is medically underserved, especially in the field of orthopedics, through lectures that tailor to the educational needs of Haiti. Methods: Topics for lecture series are requested by Haitian attending orthopedic surgeons and residents in collaboration with American orthopedic surgeons to meet the educational needs of the residents in Haiti. These lectures reflect the case mix typically seen at state hospitals in Haiti and consider the infrastructural capacity of participating centers. Grand rounds are held an average of twice per month for an hour each, encompassing an educational lesson followed by an open forum for questions and case discussion. Feedback is taken from Haitian residents to ensure the sessions are beneficial to their learning. Findings and Conclusions: To date 95 sessions hosted by 32 lecturers have been completed over Zoom between the US and Haiti. The fourth year of the lecture series is currently ongoing with an expansion of topics. In an underserved medical area such as Haiti, programs that educate local surgeons are crucial to continuing the growth and development of the medical community. Programs like this have the potential to contribute to the educational infrastructure of countries in need, regardless of the specialty. The model of this program can be used to produce similar curricula in various specialties and areas around the world.

How Would You Manage This Patient With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction? : Grand Rounds Discussion From Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The proportion of patients with new-onset heart failure who have preserved rather than reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFpEF and HFrEF) has been increasing over recent decades. In fact, HFpEF now outweighs HFrEF as the predominant heart failure subtype and likely remains underdiagnosed in the community. This is due in part to an aging population and a rise in other risk factors for HFpEF, including obesity and associated cardiometabolic disease. Whereas the diagnosis of HFrEF is relatively straightforward, the diagnosis of HFpEF is often more challenging because there can be other causes for symptoms, including dyspnea and fatigue, and cardinal physical examination findings of elevated jugular venous pressure or pulmonary congestion may not be evident at rest. In 2022, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the Heart Failure Society of America published a comprehensive guideline on heart failure that included recommendations for the management of HFpEF. The use of diuretics for the management of congestion remained the only class 1 (strong) recommendation. New recommendations included broader use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i, class 2a), and angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (class 2b). In 2023, the American College of Cardiology published an expert consensus decision pathway for the management of HFpEF that suggests treatment strategies based on sex assigned at birth, ejection fraction, clinical evidence of congestion, and candidacy for SGLT2i therapy. Here, 2 experts, a cardiologist and a geriatrician, discuss their approach to the diagnosis and management of HFpEF and how they would apply guidelines to an individual patient.