title: Overview of quality in cardiovascular imaging and procedures for clinicians: focus on appropriate-use-criteria guidelines.
abstract: Cardiovascular imaging and procedures have experienced exponential growth over the past 20 years in terms of new modalities, procedure volume, technological sophistication, and cost. As a result, related quality improvement tools have become multifaceted works in progress. This article briefly summarizes the evolution of the time-honored American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association clinical practice guidelines versus the newer American College of Cardiology Foundation appropriate-use-criteria guidelines and how these may interact with emerging performance measures, clinical data registries, and cardiovascular laboratory accreditation initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Texas Heart Institute, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Raymond F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Stainback
mesh_terms: D000068:Accreditation / Q000592:standards; D000572:American Heart Association; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002568:Certification / Q000592:standards; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000592:standards*; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States
keywords: appropriate-use criteria; clinical practice guidelines; patient advocacy; quality assessment