Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the feasibility and value of a real-time online appropriate use criteria (AUC) application for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients without acute coronary syndrome.
Background: High rates of non-appropriate elective PCI in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) CathPCI Registry have created interest in integrating decision support tools into routine clinical care to improve the frequency of appropriate PCIs.
Methods: Patients undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography and subsequent PCI for non-ACS indications at a single center were scored using a real-time AUC application pre-procedure. Blinded angiographic review was performed subsequently for each case. Rates of appropriate, inappropriate, uncertain and not rated PCIs were tabulated according to specific clinical scenarios using information available both before and after the angiographic audit.
Results: Of 308 PCIs in 272 patients, 196 (63.6%) were deemed appropriate, 79 (25.6%) uncertain, and two (0.6%) inappropriate; 31 (10.1%) scenarios could not be rated. With angiographic audit, inappropriate PCIs increased to 9.7%. There was a significant improvement in the rate of appropriate PCI using the real-time AUC application compared with retrospective data collection for NCDR reporting (64% vs. 53%, P = 0.01).
Conclusions: Use of a real-time AUC application together with angiographic audit may improve the accuracy of reporting PCI appropriateness. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Keywords: appropriateness; coronary artery disease; quality improvement.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.