Automated MEdical Record Driven Implantable CArdioverter-defibrillator Heart Failure Trial (AMERICA-HF)

Purpose and Objective: Heart failure therapies including beta-blockers, ACE-inhibitors, aldosterone antagonists, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices have proven beneficial but are underused in eligible patients. The investigators seek to determine if automating referral to cardiologists and electrophysiologists through an intelligent electronic medical record system can improve adherence to American College of Cardiology (ACC)/ American Heart Association (AHA) heart failure guideline recommended therapies. Study activities and population group: The AMERICA-HF trial will be a randomized, single-center, single blinded study comparing standard-practice provider initiated cardiovascular specialty referral to experimental automated medical record driven cardiovascular specialty referral. An investigational program will automatically screen all finalized electronic reports from clinically indicated transthoracic echocardiogram studies performed in the Duke University Echo Lab system and create an automated query to obtain HF ICD-9 codes. Eligible patients will be randomly assigned to participate in a registry (n=125) or automated electronic medical record (EMR) based subspecialty care intervention arm (n=125). Data analysis: The primary endpoint is rate of adherence (%) to ACC/AHA HF guideline recommended therapies at 3, 6, and 12 month follow-up among patients randomized to the registry compared to the intervention. Differences in characteristics (including use of guideline recommended therapies) will be tested using Pearson Chi-square tests for categorical variables and Wilcoxon two-sample tests for continuous variables. Time to event analysis will be performed for the secondary endpoints of hospitalization or death.