Quality initiatives and models of care in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: The time has come!

摘要

There has been substantial work in the field of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The number of publications in this field has increased exponentially and the number of trials in new therapeutic agents similarly has seen a dramatic increase in the last 15 years. In spite of this dramatic advance in the field, substantial issues remain in assessing patient care outcome and optimal therapy. Implementation of care in complex patient groups like PAH can be difficu however there are several diseases that have similar challenges. Subspecialists with substantial experience in research, diagnosis and management of rare diseases are the norm. Even this pattern of referral, however, is no guarantee that optimal therapy and outcomes will be achieved. There is substantial information in the area of PAH that would suggest we are currently operating in a sub-optimal environment. We will discuss these data and propose possible solutions for the optimization of care in this complex group of patients.