The Role of National Surveys in the Assessment of Quality of Care of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome The Example of ACSIS

摘要

Over the past two decades, numerous randomized clinical trials have been conducted in the field of cardiology, particularly for the assessment of treatment of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS). These trials have paved the way for the beginning of a new era in the management of ACS - namely the introduction of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM), which is now recognized worldwide to be the most reliable strategy for successful disease management in the modern era. Based on these clinical trial results, national and international medical societies publish, and regularly update, treatment guidelines according to the progress of medical research. The implementation of these guidelines by GP's and cardiologists has been strongly recommended (1-2). Since the publication of the guidelines for treatment, it has been proven that adherence to the treatment and management guidelines are associated with improved clinical outcomes (3-5). Several tools have been developed for assessing adherence to guidelines for treatment of ACS and CABG. Among them, periodic surveys and permanent registries are frequently used for this purpose in Europe and the USA (6-10). Since 1992, ACSIS (Acute Coronary Syndrome Israel Survey) has been the tool for the assessment of guideline adherence in the treatment of ACS patients in Israel. This paper will focus on the contribution of ACSIS to the improvement of quality of care of patients with ACS in Israel between 1992 and 2006.