The Future of European Electrophysiology – How to Improve the Quality of Care in Europe

Abstract

Invasive management of heart rhythm disorders by catheter ablation and device implantation has been established as the therapy of choice for most cardiac arrhythmias, and the number of patients and complex procedures has increased dramatically. However, these procedures have an associated risk of serious complications and require fluoroscopy, which entails additional risks for both the patient and the operating personnel. All of these considerations justify the implementation of actions to guarantee quality and the creation of qualifications for the practice of these techniques in the interest of obtaining the greatest efficacy with the minimum possible risk to the patient and operating personnel. Attempts at quality improvement of electrophysiology in Europe should utilise a systematic approach incorporating various actions, including setting standards via guidelines and consensus recommendations, establishing the basal situation using registries and surveys, introducing pathways for common education with core curriculum documents, fostering motivation by promoting research, recognising excellence through accreditation systems and raising public awareness and public resources using public foundations and patient associations.