European Society of Cardiology Quality Indicators for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: developed by the Working Group for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Quality Indicators in collaboration with the European Association for Preventive Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology

Abstract

Aims To develop a set of quality indicators (QIs) for the evaluation of the care and outcomes for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevention. Methods and results The Quality Indicator Committee of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) formed the Working Group for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Quality Indicators in collaboration with Task Force members of the 2021 ESC Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice and the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC). We followed the ESC methodology for QI development, which involved (i) the identification of the key domains of care for ASCVD prevention by constructing a conceptual framework of care, (ii) the development of candidate QIs by conducting a systematic review of the literature, (iii) the selection of the final set of QIs using a modified Delphi method, and (iv) the evaluation of the feasibility of the developed QIs. In total, 17 main and 14 secondary QIs were selected across six domains of care for ASCVD prevention: (i) structural framework, (ii) risk assessment, (iii) care for people at risk for ASCVD, (iv) care for patients with established ASCVD, (v) patient education and experience, and (vi) outcomes. Conclusion We present the 2021 ESC QIs for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, which have been co-constructed with EAPC using the ESC methodology for QI development. These indicators are supported by evidence from the literature, underpinned by expert consensus and aligned with the 2021 ESC Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice to offer a mechanism for the evaluation of ASCVD prevention care and outcomes.