Which quality metric does the American Heart Association’s Get with the Guidelines program recognize for heart failure management?

The American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program emphasizes the importance of evidence-based therapies in the management of heart failure. One of the key quality metrics that the program recognizes relates to the discharge medication for patients with heart failure, specifically the administration of an evidence-based β-blocker.

Evidence-based β-blockers, such as carvedilol, metoprolol succinate, and bisoprolol, have been shown through extensive clinical trials to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. This includes reducing mortality and hospitalizations. Ensuring that patients are discharged on these medications aligns with the program's goal of improving the quality of care for heart failure patients by promoting the utilization of therapies that have a proven benefit.

In contrast, other choices may involve elements of care that are important but do not specifically meet the established metrics under the Get With The Guidelines program. For example, while discharge instructions regarding medications—such as an oral diuretic and rescue plan instructions—are critical, they do not reflect the evidence-based approach that is at the core of the recognized metrics. Similarly, right heart catheterization may be necessary for certain clinical scenarios but is not standardized as a quality measure for routine heart failure management in this program. Enrollment