Studies have shown that major struggles in cardiology departments have led to less-than-optimal treatment for Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). These struggles include a lack of competency in the assessment of risk factors in CVDs, lack of communication from cardiologists, the burn out and overworking of cardiologists, and a distrust in diagnoses and referrals of other physicians. A study by Academy for Healthcare Education Inc. found that most cardiologists rate their competencies low in the assessment of conditional risk factors in CVDs. The study also found that cardiologists struggle to enhance patient action towards modifying risk factors through medical intervention and lifestyle changes. These struggles lead to hindered care and higher treatment costs from misdiagnoses and readmissions.

According to a survey done by The Physician Foundation 80% of physicians report being overextended and overwhelmed.  Burnout can result from excessive workload, diminished sense of accomplishment or competency, and general exhaustion from a physician’s lifestyle. There has been an upwards trend in the rate of physicians and specifically cardiologists that report burnout. Rising rates of burnout have catalyzed further doubts in communication and competencies from cardiologists.

These continued struggles have contributed to the ever-rising number of cardiovascular disease cases and deaths. Studies in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, have suggested that CVD and risk factors will continue rising at significant rates over the next few decades. The study projects that heart failure cases in the US will increase by 33.4% and hypertension will increase by 25.1% by the year 2060. These increases will disproportionately influence ethnic and racial minorities with dramatically higher risk factors and growth of CVD’s in these communities.

To remedy this, researchers recommend an emphasis on improving the effectiveness of treatment for at-risk individuals. More effective and pinpointed treatment, lowers death rates, and leads to better care for CVDs. ScriptChain Health offers AI technology that targets these specific pain points, aiming to decrease the costs and deaths of CVD. ScriptChain’s AI prediction platform collaborates with electronic healthcare systems to identify risks in heart disease patients and provides recommendations for physicians.

ScriptChain Health’s prediction platform allows cardiologists to produce better patient outcomes and reduces doubts of cardiologists regarding competency and communication. The assistance of predictions also reduces the factor of physician burnout, again improving level of care. The culmination of these factors reduces over and under treatment of patients, creating better results and lowering readmission rates. Reducing readmission rates and unnecessary treatment, lowers costs of treatment for hospitals and automating the workflow can help create more efficiencies. Lowering costs allows for higher rates of patient intake and cost savings for healthcare systems looking to better their bottom line. The lowering of costs and increase in quality of care as a result of ScriptChain Health technologies can aid in subduing the increasing rates of CVDs, and are specifically effective for communities with racial and ethnic minorities where FQHCs can directly make a positive impact.

Citations:

-Hall, Justin. “The Impact of Covid-19 on Critical Cardiac Care and What Is to Come Postpandemic.” Future Cardiology, vol. 17, no. 1, 2021, pp. 7–10., https://doi.org/10.2217/fca-2020-0093.

-Hayes, Sean M, et al. “Issues and Challenges in the Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Assessing the Needs of Cardiologists.” BMC Medical Education, vol. 8, no. 1, 2008, https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6920-8-30.

-Mendoza, Walter, and J. Jaime Miranda. “Global Shifts in Cardiovascular Disease, the Epidemiologic Transition, and Other Contributing Factors.” Cardiology Clinics, vol. 35, no. 1, 2017, pp. 1–12., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccl.2016.08.004.

-“New US Population Study Projects Steep Rise in Cardiovascular Diseases by 2060.” American College of Cardiology, American College of Cardiology, 1 Aug. 2022, https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-Releases/2022/08/01/16/37/New-US-Population-Study-Projects-Steep-Rise-in-Cardiovascular-Diseases-by-2060.

-Panagioti, Maria, et al. “How to Prevent Burnout in Cardiologists? A Review of the Current Evidence, Gaps, and Future Directions.” Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol. 28, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1–7., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tcm.2017.06.018.