title: The role of the Arrhythmia Team, an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to treatment of patients with cardiac arrhythmias: results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey.
abstract: Management of patients with cardiac arrhythmias is increasingly complex because of continuous technological advance and multifaceted clinical conditions associated with ageing of the population, the presence of co-morbidities and the need for polypharmacy. The aim of this European Heart Rhythm Association Scientific Initiatives Committee survey was to provide an insight into the role of the Arrhythmia Team, an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to management of patients with cardiac arrhythmias. Forty-eight centres from 18 European countries replied to the Web-based questionnaire. The presence of an Arrhythmia Team was reported by 44% of the respondents, whereas 17% were not familiar with this term. Apart from the electrophysiologist, health professionals who should belong to such teams, according to the majority of the respondents, include a clinical cardiologist, a nurse, a cardiac surgeon, a heart failure specialist, a geneticist, and a geriatrician. Its main activity should be dedicated to the management of patients with complex clinical conditions or refractory or inherited forms of arrhythmias. When present, the Arrhythmia Team was considered helpful by 95% of respondents; the majority of centres (79%) agreed that it should be implemented. The Arrhythmia Team seems to be connected to important expectations in the management of cardiac arrhythmias. The efficacy of such an integrated and multidisciplinary approach should be encouraged and tested in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Geriatric Cardiology and Medicine Division, Experimental and Clinical Medicine Department, University of Florence and AOU Careggi, Florence, Italy fumadue@tin.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.affiliation: Department of Heart Disease, Haukeland University Hospital, Haukeland, Norway Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Clinic, Emergency Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases and Transplant, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Tirgu Mures, Romania Emergency Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases and Transplantation, Tirgu Mures, Romania.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dobreanu
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Ramon y Cajal Hospital, Alcala University, Ctra. Colmenar Viejo, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio Hernandez
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Madrid
authors.affiliation: University Heart Center Lübeck, Medical Clinic II (Cardiology/Angiology/Intensive Care Medicine), University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tilz
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrophysiology, University of Leipzig-Heart Center, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dagres
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D005060:Europe; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Arrhythmia management; Arrhythmia team; Atrial fibrillation; EHRA survey; EP Wire; Elderly; Heart failure; Multidisciplinary; Personalized medicine; Ventricular arrhythmias