New Online Tool Allows Patients to Make Informed Heart Care Decisions

New Online Tool Allows Patients to Make Informed Heart Care Decisions

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MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center is one of only two hospitals in the nation selected to partner with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) on the Find Your Heart a Home™ pilot program. This project will help patients when they are trying to choose the right hospital for their heart care.

Find Your Heart a Home is a first-of-its-kind online tool that allows patients and caregivers to search and compare hospitals based on the cardiac services they provide and the quality of care they deliver.  The database is populated with information from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.  This registry tracks the results of certain heart care procedure such as cardiac catheterizations, angioplasty and implantable cardiac defibrillators.  The tool is part of ACC’s CardioSmart initiative, a website full of educational information and tools to help guide patients on their heart health journey.

"Patients need and deserve access to accurate information that helps them make informed decisions," said Allen J. Taylor, MD, chief of Cardiology at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute.  “In this era of healthcare transparency, patients and their families want access to credible information about quality of care when they are choosing hospitals.  Consumers use online search tools to make decisions about everything from restaurants to hotels, but until recently, it has been difficult to find useful and understandable information online about hospitals. As health care becomes more and more transparent, this is changing, and MedStar is proud to be leading the way."

"MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute is a pioneer in this effort to give patients the tools they need to become an active participant when mapping out their cardiac care plan,” said ACC President Kim Allan Williams, MD, FACC. “They are showing a true commitment to transparency and quality and serving as an example to hospitals across the country.”

The registry rates MedStar Washington Hospital Center, the founding hospital of MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute, based on 1,810 cardiac cath and angioplasty procedures, and 520 implanted cardiac defibrillators.  For each aspect of care evaluated, the Hospital Center's performance earned the maximum four stars.

MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s heart data can be found here, or visit FindYourHeartaHome.org.

 

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