Impact of Echo Report Recommendations for Severe Valvular Heart Disease Research Grant

This grant will provide 2-year funding that aims to examine the impact of embedded echocardiography report interventions on referral patterns and outcomes in patients newly diagnosed by echocardiography with severe aortic stenosis (AS). This study in particular will examine the role of a primary care provider and referral patterns to a cardiac specialist for patients presenting with severe AS, though the study may be expanded to include other forms of severe valve disease. One grant was awarded by ASE through its Foundation in 2023, with the support of funding from Edwards Lifesciences.

Marielle Scherrer-Crosbie, MD, PhD, FASE, Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, was the recipient of the Impact of Echocardiography Report Recommendations on Referral Patterns and Outcome in Patients with Severe Valvular Heart Disease grant and serves as the study’s principal investigator.

Her research will examine the referral patterns and treatment of patients presenting with echocardiographic evidence of aortic stenosis (AS). The research will be funded over the next two years and will utilize a pre- and post-single arm study with a historic control aimed at testing a specific intervention’s impact on the care or management of patients with severe AS referred by a non-cardiologist for an echocardiogram.