WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To address the 75 percent of chronic heart failure (HF) patients who do not receive optimal doses of guideline-recommended drugs, the American College of Cardiology (ACC), Haymarket Medical Education (HME), and myCME have joined forces to develop RightSTEPS: Optimizing Medical Therapy for Chronic Heart Failure. This long-term education initiative aims to help clinicians follow prescribing guidelines to reduce hospitalizations and readmissions and to improve patient outcomes.

Launching in 2017, with additional education to be added regularly throughout the year, the program is overseen by leading experts in HF treatment, including Akshay S. Desai, MD, MPH, FACC (Director, Heart Failure Disease Management, Cardiovascular Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School). The curriculum includes American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline-driven medical therapy, and it enables clinicians to:

Learn via a dedicated online Cardiology Learning Center on myCME offering self-paced, personalized educational activities that are eligible for up to 16 continuing medical education (CME)/continuing nursing education (CNE) complimentary credits, including individualized treatments for various gender and racial/ethnic populations
Practice during face-to-face live meetings at regional healthcare systems, with parallel sessions for patients and caregivers at Veterans Affairs hospitals

Perform and receive customized online coaching that qualifies as a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Payment Program Improvement Activity under the new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS)
“Improving heart health is at the core of the ACC’s mission,” said ACC RightSTEPS Chair and Course Director Akshay S. Desai, MD, MPH, FACC. “With RightSTEPS, medical professionals treating heart failure patients have easier access to the tools they need to make informed, guideline-driven decisions and provide their patients with the highest quality care.”

“Successful treatment of chronic HF depends on both medical knowledge and ongoing dialogue,” said Priya Wanchoo, MD, Medical Director of myCME. “We’re pleased the education we develop with the ACC for RightSTEPS will have a dedicated home on myCME. We believe it will provide clinicians a support center for their efforts in providing optimal patient care.”

Supported by an independent educational grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, the curriculum is designed for the range of clinicians who provide care for patients with chronic HF, including cardiologists, internists, primary care physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. To further close the circle and improve performance, it includes education geared for patients with chronic HF and their caregivers.

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