Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Consortium
Contact:
Rozanne Darland
CQI Administrator
313-448-5573
rdarland@bcbsm.com
Coronary artery disease, or CAD, is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with more than 500,000 deaths occurring each year. With a rise in the incidence of CAD, it is vital that improvements occur in the treatment, care and outcomes of patients with CAD.
The Advanced Cardiac Imaging Consortium (ACIC) CQI is the first statewide collaborative quality improvement initiative involving both physician organizations and hospitals for studying the use of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), commonly known as heart CT angiography. Through data analysis, the consortium is developing best practice guidelines in cardiovascular imaging. The goal of the ACIC CQI is to improve patient care by continuous monitoring of data for quality and to establish best practices for this rapidly growing technology.
Goals
- Develop and implement a collaborative radiation dose-reduction program.
- Evaluate current referral patterns for CCTA.
- Determine the best clinical use of CCTA.
- Influence practice patterns by sharing data on current guidelines and referral patterns.
- Evaluate long-term outcomes of patients undergoing CCTA.
Results
Reduced radiation dosage for heart CT angiography by 53.3 percent*
*Radiation Dose From Cardiac Computed Tomography Before and After Implementation of Radiation Dose-Reduction Techniques, JAMA, June 10, 2009
