In fact, nearly 75% of cardiologists surveyed who regularly treat AS patients said they discuss treatment options with their patients at the time of the diagnosis (CardioSurve). Similarly, the Active Living patient survey found that doctor/patient dialogue was the highest reported factor in determining treatment decisions. More than 90% of respondents who identified as a heart valve patient said that they are influenced by conversations with their doctors (Active Living). Yet, more than one-third of patients (37.4%) wished they asked more questions at their doctor's appointment during their heart valve disease treatment journey (Active Living).

"We know patients with AS count on discussions with their cardiologists, making it even more important to fine-tune how they prepare for these critical decisions," said Adam Pick, patient advocate and founder of Heart-Valve-Surgery.com. "As an advocate for heart valve disease education, I hope these insights empower patients to find their voice and know that their physicians value the dialogue around their treatment goals and preferences."


The CardioSurve results also suggests key factors driving treatment choices and the preparation for conversations can vary between physicians and patients:

The top three items that cardiologists believe would better prepare their patients prior to their discussion include:
Having a family member/friend attend the visit to take notes and ask follow-up questions (59%)
Use of a patient decision aid (53%)
Come with a list of questions to ask during the appointment (46%)
The most important factor to physicians when determining the best treatment option for patients is the risk of mortality (70% - CardioSurve), while nearly half of patients (49% - Active Living) cite a return to an active lifestyle as a key factor in their treatment decision.
"As a global leader in heart valve innovation, Medtronic is committed to advancing our structural heart therapies to standard of care and expanding access to patients around the world," said Nina Goodheart, president of the Structural Heart & Aortic business, which is part of the Cardiovascular Portfolio at Medtronic. "These survey results demonstrate the strong collaboration by industry, medical societies and patient advocates to improve outcomes."


ACC CardioSurve
This research was designed to develop a general understanding from U.S. cardiologists of their perceptions regarding the discussion between cardiologists and patients about the diagnosis and treatment of patients with Aortic Stenosis (AS). Email invites were sent to all 437 CardioSurve panelists – current, active US Fellows of the ACC from January 8 – February 4, 2021. A total of 157 panelists completed the survey.

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