The American Heart Association (AHA) and the Chinese Society of Cardiology (CSC) announced on June 6 that they had signed a memorandum of understanding on a three-year agreement to improve the care for patients in China who have an MI.
Cardiovascular disease accounts for 45 percent of total deaths in China, where the rates of cardiovascular disease and risk factors have increased in the past two decades, according to the news release.
In June 2015, the AHA and the People’s Republic of China Ministry of Science and Technology signed a formal memorandum of understanding to advance CPR training and cardiovascular science sharing in China.
In China, the hospital admission rates for STEMI increased from 3.7 per 100,000 in 2001 to more than 15.8 per 100,000 in 2011, according to a 2014 study. The trial also found that 80 percent of MIs in China are STEMIs, which are the most serious form of MI.
“With this three-year agreement, the AHA and CSC will develop and implement a system of care quality improvements for STEMI in China with a goal of systematic improvement and efficiencies in the care delivery system,” the AHA and CSC said in a news release. “Hospital networks and emergency medical systems in Tianjin, Suzhou, Beijing and Shanghai will be part of the initial collaborative that will collect, share and report back on data regarding intervention designs, new and revised protocols, and implementation strategies for STEMI systems of care. Additionally, a public awareness campaign will educate consumers about the signs and symptoms of STEMI and the importance of immediately calling 911 for ambulance transport to the hospital.”
Executive Editor
Tim Casey joined TriMed Media Group in 2015 as Executive Editor. For the previous four years, he worked as an editor and writer for HMP Communications, primarily focused on covering managed care issues and reporting from medical and health care conferences. He was also a staff reporter at the Sacramento Bee for more than four years covering professional, college and high school sports. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Notre Dame and his MBA degree from Georgetown University.