HFpEF/HFmrEF Quality Improvement Initiative

The percentage of blood that leaves the left ventricle with each heartbeat is measured by ejection fraction (EF). A normal EF is between 55% and 70%. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) means an individual has heart failure but EF remains 50% or higher — the heart muscle contracts, but the left ventricle does not relax as it should during ventricular filling. Heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) means EF is reduced to 41%-49%.
 
HFpEF and HFmrEF collectively account for up to 75% of all heart failure cases, with rates of mortality and rehospitalization that are similar to their counterparts with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).  Yet, clinical research and treatment evidence in HFpEF and HFmrEF is substantially limited compared with other types of heart failure.

The new three-year HFpEF/HFmrEF Quality Improvement Initiative, supported by Bayer, aims to improve in-hospital care for patients with these conditions by identifying unmet needs, mapping gaps in the patient journey and defining ideal care models.

The initiative will engage a network of multidisciplinary care teams — including pharmacists — to support medication optimization, raise provider awareness and improve adherence to scientific evidence-based therapies using insights from Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure data. The Association has recruited 40 hospitals to collaborate with other hospitals and nationally recognized experts, access exclusive educational resources and share successful quality improvement models nationally.