The American College of Cardiology has published clinical practice algorithms for common congenital heart lesions, including atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, valvar pulmonary stenosis, aortic coarctation, and ventricular septal defect. The purpose of this study was to define the current practice patterns in the management of these lesions and describe the impact of departure from these recommendations.

This was a retrospective analysis of the most recent 100 outpatient appointments for each lesion at our centre. Electronic medical records were queried to determine whether the scheduling, testing, and follow-up plan for each appointment were consistent with the published algorithms.

A total of 500 visits were evaluated (150 new visits; 350 follow-up visits); 32% (n = 162) of encounters did not receive appropriate testing, 37% (n = 186) departed from recommended follow-up plans, and of the 350 follow-up visits, 45% (n = 156) departed from scheduling guidelines. Impact of these departures was quantified in reference to over- or under-expenditure of clinical resources. Of the aberrant testing encounters, 60% (n = 97) saw too few tests. Of the deviant follow-up plans created, 74% (n = 138) brought patients back to clinic too soon.

This study explores the deviation between current practice patterns and published clinical care guidelines. There is considerable variation across domain of analysis, diagnosis, and encounter type, resulting in uneven resource utilisation. Standardisation of care in these areas will improve utilisation and can be a starting point for improvement work.