Addressing care gaps in heart valve disease: Insights from hearts4heart CEO and leading cardiothoracic surgeon

Coinciding with Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week, Tanya Hall, CEO of hearts4heart, and Professor Jayme Bennetts, Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Flinders Medical Centre, tackle critical gaps in optimal patient care.

The focal point of the conversation was the launch of Australia’s first Heart Valve Disease Patient Journey Report.

“Awareness of heart valve disease is limited. Many patients eligible for life-saving treatments continue to experience significant delays in detection, diagnosis and access,” said Hall.

Professor Bennetts highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by public and private hospitals, emphasising the complex issues impacting the delivery of care for heart valve disease patients. He emphasised the need for education even in the cardiac community, saying “Early referral and early intervention for heart valve disease, whether it be mitral valve or aortic valve, is better than waiting until patients are symptomatic.”

The discussion also delved into the most recent advancements in medical technology that are positively influencing patient outcomes in heart valve disease. Professor Bennetts shared insights from recent cardiothoracic congresses, noting key innovations in both surgical techniques and interventional cardiology that are transforming patient outcomes.

“Traditionally, [Australia] has been slow to market compared to other jurisdictions internationally. And that has, at times, been problematic,” he stated reflecting on the nation’s regulatory and reimbursement timeframes.

As technology continues to evolve, the duo acknowledged the importance of integrating digital solutions and AI for patient diagnosis and management, especially its “greatest role” in remote and rural areas.

With the upcoming election, both Hall and Professor Bennetts called for policy reforms to improve accessibility and affordability in the care pathway, including “MBS Heart Health Check and cardiac auscultation, and multidisciplinary care teams (MDTs) for shared decision-making”, among other initiatives.

It is estimated there are up to 600,000 people in Australia with heart valve disease. In addition, another 254,000 people remain undiagnosed. The report was commissioned by Global Heart Hub and adapted for Australia by hearts4heart. It was funded by an unrestricted grant from Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic.

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