Clinical Resources

March 7, 2013—This document was developed by the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) along with key specialty societies. The document provides assessed levels of appropriateness for implanting ICDs and CRTs in 369 real-life case scenarios, with the goal of enhancing physician and patient decision making and improving care and health outcomes.

September 1, 2012—The expert consensus statement provides recommendations for the practical management of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) patients before, during, and after the implantation procedure. The statement does not discuss clinical indications for CRT therapy as these are covered by other guidelines statements.

September 10, 2012—The statement provides expanded indications for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in an effort to clarify which patients are most likely to benefit from CRT. Additional updates include guidance regarding the frequency of in-person and remote monitoring of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices. 

2018 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline on the Evaluation and Management of Patients with Bradycardia and Cardiac Conduction Delay supersedes the pacemaker recommendations made in this 2012 Focused Update and 2008 guidelines.

June 26, 2012—The statement is the first of its kind to specifically address pacemaker device and mode selection, expanding upon the 2008 ACC/AHA/HRS Guidelines for Device-Based Therapy of Cardiac Rhythm Abnormalities. The statement provides a state-of-the-art review of the field and reports consensus recommendations on pacemaker device and mode selection. It is a guide to facilitate the appropriate use of single vs. dual-chamber devices for patients who already meet guidelines for pacemaker implantation.

This document was reaffirmed on November 18, 2020, and will be formally assessed by November 2025.

May 10, 2012—The expert consensus statement provides first-of-its-kind clinical practice guidelines on the evaluation and management of asymptomatic young patients with a Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) electrocardiographic pattern. This is also the first collaboration between the Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society (PACES) and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS).

March 5, 2012—The purpose of this expert consensus statement is to provide a state-of-the-art review of the field of catheter and surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation. It reports on the findings of a Task Force, convened by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA), and the European Cardiac Arrhythmia Society (ECAS) and charged with defining the indications, techniques, and outcomes of this procedure.

 This document has been retired and replaced by 2017 HRS/EHRA/ECAS/APHRS/SOLAECE Expert Consensus Statement on Catheter and Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation.

November 10, 2011—The Heart Rhythm Society organized a research forum held on December 14–15, 2010, to develop a vision for future arrhythmia research and to design practical approaches to ensure these visions are realized. The goal of the present communication is to summarize the discussions and recommendations of this research forum.

November 8, 2011—The impetus for the guidelines is based on an appreciation of the frequency of this clinical entity and a realization that many aspects of clinical management, including the use of diagnostic modalities, genetic testing, utilization of implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and therapies for refractory symptoms lack consensus. The discussion and recommendations about the various diagnostic modalities apply to patients with established hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and to a variable extent to patients with a high index of suspicion of the disease.

  This document has been retired and replaced by 2020 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. 

August 1, 2011—Genetic testing is increasingly important in determining potential cardiac conditions in patients and is used in clinical settings more than ever before. To ensure that physicians have up-to-date knowledge of the evolving role of genetic testing for sudden death predisposing, genetic heart diseases in cardiology, which can be lifesaving for some patients, the Heart Rhythm Society and the European Heart Rhythm Association have partnered on the development of this expert consensus statement.  

 This document was reaffirmed on April 11, 2018, and will be formally assessed by April 2023.

August 1, 2011—A fellowship curriculum is indispensable in the training of a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist. A CCEP curriculum was first published in 2001 and served as the basis for education in many fellowship programs. Over the last decade, cardiac electrophysiology continued to grow, evolve, and mature, which necessitated an update.

 See also 2017 ACC/HRS Lifelong Learning Statement for Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Specialists.