Sudden cardiac arrest accounts for approximately 350,000 deaths in the United States annually; while many of those affected have a history of cardiac disease, countless others have no cardiac history and are unaware of any risk factors. While there are isolated efforts to reduce the incidence of and mortality from sudden cardiac arrest, there are no formal, evidence-based guidelines or standards that are uniformly recognized and employed. Realizing the potential for significant improvement in the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest, The Joint Commission convened a Stakeholder Panel in April 2009. Several domains were identified for which preventive care could decrease the incidence of sudden cardiac arrest.
The Joint Commission is pleased to announce that funding has been provided by unrestricted educational grants from the Medtronic, St. Jude Medical, and Boston Scientific corporations to develop an evidence-based performance measure set targeting acute care inpatients and a monograph that identifies current population-based best practices, both with a focus on prevention of sudden cardiac arrest. The current project will be based on the work of the Stakeholder Panel,
The project is expected to span approximately 27 months. It is expected that the initial meeting of the technical advisory panel will occur in February 2010, and the work of this panel will be completed by January 31, 2012.
Further details will be posted on The Joint Commission’s website as they become available.