Emirates Cardiac Society improves heart failure care via American Heart Association program

DALLAS, Feb. 15, 2024 — Rashid Hospital in Dubai and Tawam Hospital in Abu Dhabi are the first in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to enroll in the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® - Heart Failure program, with the aim of increasing healthy days at home and reducing hospital readmissions for their patients with heart failure.

An estimated 3.75 million people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) experience heart failure.[1] Despite the name, heart failure doesn’t mean that the heart has stopped working – it means the heart is having a hard time pumping blood and oxygen throughout the body. While there’s no cure for heart failure, patients can live a quality life by working with their health care team to create and stick with a plan that may include medication, symptom monitoring and lifestyle changes.

“With the number of patients with heart failure on the rise, it is critical to develop and follow standardized protocols and continuously measure quality effective for the treatment of heart failure to improve access, treatment and follow up to significantly improve guideline-based care and patient outcomes throughout the UAE,” said Juwairia Alali, M.D., president of the Emirates Cardiac Society and a cardiologist at Rashid Hospital. “As the first hospitals in the UAE to use the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure program, Rashid Hospital and Tawam Hospital show a dedication to ensuring their patients have the best possible care and quality of life. Hospitals that participate in Get With The Guidelines quality improvement programs often see better patient outcomes, fewer readmissions and lower mortality rates – a win for health care systems, families and communities.”

Understanding quality measurement is critical to improving patient care. Get With The Guidelines hospitals demonstrate a commitment to treating patients using the latest evidence-based clinical guidelines as outlined by the American Heart Association, a global force for longer, healthier lives for all, now celebrating 100 years of work to improve outcomes for heart patients. Each participating hospital works with a program consultant to interpret data and identify areas for improvement. The Get With The Guidelines registry tool collects blind data from participating hospitals, allowing health care leaders and researchers to examine trends and continue bringing current evidence-based guidance to bear across the industry.

“Participation in the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines - Heart Failure program will enable health care providers to monitor and improve the delivery of guideline-directed medical therapy at their hospitals,” said Mohammed El-Harari, MRCP, FRCP, a consultant cardiologist at Tawam Hospital. “Additionally, the ability to compare their hospitals’ data to an international performance benchmark will help enhance implementation processes and inform broader public health decisions.

“Our diverse populations in the Emirates are difficult to replicate. Local data garnered directly through Get With The Guidelines will help us understand our patients and how best to serve them and improve health care and health outcomes.”

Get With The Guidelines is a proven in-hospital approach to improving patient outcomes across cardiovascular and stroke focus areas. Each Get With The Guidelines program promotes consistent adherence to the latest research-driven guidelines and measurement, while providing data and information to professionals for continual improvement in patient care.

Additional Resources:

• American Heart Association International Quality Improvement

###

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. During 2024 - our Centennial year - we celebrate our rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As we forge ahead into our second century of bold discovery and impact our vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

About Get With The Guidelines

Get With The Guidelines® is the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s hospital-based quality improvement program that provides hospitals with the latest research-based guidelines. Developed with the goal of saving lives and improving recovery, Get With The Guidelines has touched the lives of more than 13 million patients since 2001. For more information, visit heart.org/internationalQI.

For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173

Karen Springs: 214-706-4831; karen.springs@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org