Measure Rationale
Effective rate control in atrial fibrillation reduces symptoms, prevents complications such as tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy, and improves patient outcomes. Despite clear guideline recommendations, many patients with AFib do not achieve adequate rate control.
Measure Specification
All patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation on rate control pharmacotherapy.
Patients with contraindications to rate control therapy or those pursuing rhythm control strategy as primary management.
Performance Met:
Resting heart rate documented at <110 bpm during the measurement period.
Performance Not Met:
Resting heart rate documented at ≥110 bpm or no heart rate documented during the measurement period.
None
Clinical Recommendation Statement
The ACC/AHA/HRS guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation recommend a lenient rate control strategy with a target resting heart rate of <110 bpm for patients with permanent atrial fibrillation who remain symptomatic despite stricter rate control.
References
- 1.
January CT, et al. 2019 AHA/ACC/HRS Focused Update of the 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation. Circulation. 2019.
- 2.
Van Gelder IC, et al. Lenient versus strict rate control in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2010;362(15):1363-1373.
Use this measure in your practice
This measure is available through VBCA's CMS-approved QCDR. First and second-year measures receive automatic MIPS points regardless of performance.