A programme designed by the Health Innovation West Midlands (HIWM) and partners to improve the diagnosis and management of hypercholesterolemia and atrial fibrillation (AF), in the West Midlands, is the subject of an article published by the British Medical Journal, Heart.

The paper, Impulse-cvd; improving outcomes for people at risk of/with cardiovascular disease in the west midlands, describes how the programme was developed, in line with NHS plans, to identify more people at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) through health checks and upskilling staff to improve the detection and management of hypercholesterolemia and AF.

It goes on to note the uniqueness of the delivery of the programme – a series of virtual, interactive workshops, using case studies, delivered to those working in primary care and responsible for diagnosing CVD.

A nod to the values of the HIWM, the paper accounts for the collaborative working with partners – from regional Integrated Care System Education and Training Hubs, University of North Midlands NHS trust and the Centre for Pharmacy Postgraduate Education – to deliver the workshops.

Details of the workshop were also featured – from between October and November 2021, 12 AF and 13 lipid management workshops were attended by between 20-30 people at each session.

The workshops were delivered by local clinical experts in primary in primary and secondary care and structured using the Detect, Protect and Perfect method.

Nazish Khan, HIWM CVD Clinical Lead, said: “We are extremely pleased that our work and the work of our partners have been recognised and published by the Heart BMJ Journal. We continue to work with our network partners to explore and deliver innovative approaches to solving health and care challenges and meeting national priorities. This programme has proved successful with our health and care workers, with attendees reporting an improvement in their knowledge of and understanding of both hypercholesterolemia and AF. We have plans to deliver more  IMpulse CVD upskilling workshops, as these early and positive outcomes can only benefit patients.”

The programme was designed and delivered to support the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan.

For more information, please contact Nazish Khan, HIWM CVD Clinical Lead, at: nazish.khan@nhs.net or Lesley Devaney, HIWM CVD Project Manager, at: lesley.devaney@healthinnovationwm.org