The ACC, collaboration with Amgen and Veradigm, has announced a new national study to transform care for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients at risk for future cardiovascular events. TRANSFORM: Accelerating Lipid Lowering Post ACS (TRANSFORM: ACS) will ensure ACS patients quickly receive cholesterol testing in the hospital and guideline-recommended therapies to reduce LDL cholesterol in the hospital and upon discharge.

The primary goal of the TRANSFORM: ACS program will be to improve the rate of lipid panel testing and lipid lowering treatment intensification in ACS patients within 75 days after hospital discharge. Rapid cholesterol testing after a cardiovascular event within the hospital is hypothesized to drive initiation of lipid lowering treatment within the first year post ACS, which could increase compliance and help patients avoid events more rapidly than current standard of care.

"Research has noted gaps in optimal care delivery for ACS patients. Our collaborative study will investigate mechanisms for early initiation, and test pilots for close follow-up of lipid lowering therapies," said ACC President Athena Poppas, MD, FACC. "ACC is mission driven to transform cardiovascular care for all patients, and this novel approach should reduce the risk of recurrent major adverse events."

The project will have two phases. Phase one will focus on supporting in-hospital lipid lowering treatment of post-ACS patients as recommended. Phase two of the program will evaluate quality improvement by following discharged ACS patients into the outpatient care setting to evaluate trends in treatment and risk prevention for up to a year post-discharge.

"LDL-C is one of the most important modifiable risk factors in reducing the risk of another cardiovascular event and studies have shown that many people who are at very high-risk, including those with ACS, are not being treated to the ACC/AHA guidelines and more intensive efforts are needed," said Cesar Cerezo Olmos, MD, PhD, vice president of Global and U.S. Medical for Amgen's General Medicine business unit. "Supporting TRANSFORM: ACS represents our commitment to helping patients with cardiovascular disease improve outcomes, as well as our proactive approach to care designed to predict and help prevent another potentially life-altering cardiovascular event from happening."

The TRANSFORM: ACS program will leverage ACC's CathPCI Registry and Chest Pain-MI Registry, Allscripts outpatient EHR and the PINNACLE Registry operated by Veradigm in association with the ACC, to identify hospitals for intervention as well as affiliated outpatient clinics. Through MedAxiom, a protocol will be developed with participating hospitals to certify clinician and health system engagement and retainment, ensuring goals of this program are met.

This initiative is the latest under the TRANSFORM umbrella. The ACC introduced TRANSFORM as a new kind of quality research program aimed to improve health care by transforming the quality of care across the multi-faceted areas of cardiovascular disease. TRANSFORM programs leverage clinical registry data, office-based interventions and partnerships to include the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, health plans, employers, clinicians and patients.

Clinical Topics: Acute Coronary Syndromes, Dyslipidemia, Lipid Metabolism, Nonstatins

Keywords: Cholesterol, LDL, Patient Discharge, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Quality Improvement, Outpatients, Risk Factors, Cardiovascular Diseases, Follow-Up Studies, Aftercare, Standard of Care, Ambulatory Care, Chest Pain, Registries, Patient Compliance, National Cardiovascular Data Registries, PINNACLE Registry, CathPCI Registry, Chest Pain MI Registry

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