Surveying the Landscape of Structural Heart Disease Coordination: An Exploratory Study of the Coordinator Role

Background In professional society consensus statements for structural heart disease (SHD), the Coordinator is identified as a key member of the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT). Minimal information is available to describe this role. The purpose of this exploratory survey is to describe the current landscape of SHD coordination and the Coordinator role on the MDT. Methods A link to a 40-question web-based survey was distributed to 596 email addresses of nurses and allied health professionals involved in coordinating catheter-based therapies for SHD. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze survey data. Results Respondents ( N = 219) were predominantly registered nurse coordinators (82.2%); 43.9% held a bachelor's degree and 43.4% a master's or doctoral degree. Valve Clinic Coordinator was the most frequently held title (33.5%). A total of 23.3% of respondents coordinated patient care for TAVR, TMVr MitraClip, LAAO Watchman; 42.4% coordinated patient care for TAVR and TMVr MitraClip or LAAO Watchman; and 34.3% coordinated patient care solely for TAVR. Whereas 33.8% of respondents represented programs with more than one coordinator, 26% of respondents were hired to replace a coordinator and 9.6% of respondents reported more than one coordinator had resigned from the program. Common responsibilities were determined and areas for further study (skill-task alignment, retention, and impact of the Coordinator role) were identified. Conclusions This study provides the first data-driven description of the SHD Coordinator on the MDT. These data on the scope of SHD coordination in the U.S. may assist with establishing a standardized definition and national parameters for the Coordinator role.