Cardiology Groups Standardize COVID-19 Diagnosis, Treatment Definitions

By Jonathan Springston, Editor, Relias Media

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association have released “Key Data Elements and Definitions for Cardiovascular and Noncardiovascular Complications of COVID-19,” which the groups described as “a comprehensive set of data standards to help standardize definitions and set the framework to capture and better understand how COVID-19 impacts cardiovascular health.”

During the pandemic, healthcare workers learned patients with heart-related risk factors and preexisting conditions were especially vulnerable to the worst of COVID-19. “Unfortunately, there has not been clarity or consensus on definitions of cardiovascular conditions related to COVID-19,” the groups explained. “Broad agreement on common vocabulary and definitions is needed to pool or compare data from electronic health records, clinical registries, administrative datasets, and other databases, and to assess whether these data are applicable to clinical practice and research endeavors.”

The extensive guide includes sections on patient demographics (including social determinants of health), how to diagnose COVID-19 (noting symptoms and diagnostic procedures), proper pharmacological tools, preventive procedures, and end-of-life management.

“This document is intended for use by researchers, registry developers, and clinicians, and is proposed as a framework for ICD-10 code development of COVID–19-related cardiovascular conditions. The standards are also of great importance to patients, clinicians, investigators, scientists, administrators, public health officials, policymakers, and payers,” the groups explained. “The new data standard provides healthcare professionals a framework with which to lead conversations with their patients.”

For more on this and related subjects, be sure to read the latest issues of Clinical Cardiology Alert.