Abstract
The mission of the ESC is ‘to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Europe’ and the objectives and activities of the Council of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions are developed within this mission [1].
The European Heart Journal recently published a manuscript addressing the trends and contexts in European cardiology practice for the next 15 years. The paper reflects discussions during a meeting organized by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and was named ‘the Madrid Declaration’ [2].
A few months later, the ESC and the European Heart Network (EHN) created the ‘European Heart Health Charter.’ The goal of this charter is to bring information about cardiovascular disease to the general population, including risk factors, prevention and explanations on the dangers of heart disease.
Are there any consequences for cardiovascular nursing?
At least for the next 25 years CVD will continue to be a major health care problem in spite of the introduction of new medical treatment and diagnostic technologies [2].
In most countries, CVD is still the main cause of death and this is not expected to change in the near future. Although several risk factors for cardiovascular disease are known and can be affected by life style changes, the area of prevention is rather neglected within cardiology.
The new initiative of the ESC and EHN in creating a European Heart Health Charter might help health care workers to bring risk factors such as smoking, obesity or the lack of exercise to people's attention. The charter and its materials will be translated into 23 languages and will include information on best practices and risk factors. For more information visit www.heartcharter.eu. This new website provides resources for policymakers and health care workers and will include a register of information on relevant initiatives, events, data about best practices and facts about cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular nurses can make a large contribution to primary and secondary prevention programs. Recent publications in this journal address the potential for the role of nurses and the need for cardiovascular nurses to recognize their importance in prevention [3,4].
Access to health quality data and improved knowledge by health care users, patients and the general public should improve the quality of care and facilitate the implementation of guidelines [2].
We all are facing an increasing influence of media on our lives. Patients and their families are confronted with a large amount of information about their health and possible treatment of their disease. Nurses can help patients find reliable sources of information via for example, the internet and identify reliable sources with information that is applicable to them and that provides valuable details. Nurses can also be involved in developing reliable information. For example, nurses in the Heart Failure Association of the ESC are involved in the design of an international website for heart failure patients and their carers.
A consequence of epidemiological changes is that an increased demand for resources on manpower is inevitable [2].
It is expected that there will be a shortage of cardiologists throughout Europe. This shortage is reason for concern with a rise in the number of patients suffering from CVD. At the same time, specialized cardiovascular nurses develop their roles in the management of the cardiac patient [5]. Nurse led clinics are increasingly developed and tested, and can give an opportunity to deliver cost-effective and efficient multidisciplinary patient care. As stated in the Madrid Declaration: ‘it will require changes in the organizational model of health care towards process oriented and holistic patient management.’
The European Journal on Cardiovascular Nursing will publish manuscripts that are related to all aspects of the Madrid Declaration and will raise issues that are important in the prevention of cardiovascular disease as addressed in the European Heart Health Charter.