Can we improve the detection of heart valve disease?

The clinical care of patients with valve disease is best organised by multidisciplinary specialist valve teams. These supervise inpatient and outpatient care, design protocols and processes and coordinate training and education. However, valve disease may not be detected or, if detected, a referral to a specialist team may not be made. This leads to preventable premature death.A working group was therefore convened
\nby the British Heart Valve Society with
\nrepresentatives of all interested national
\nbodies and a panel of invited international
\ncommentators. The overall aim was to
\nproduce recommendations to improve the
\ndetection, conservative management and
\ninterventional treatment of valve disease.
\nThis document focuses on the detection of
\nvalve disease. This occurs principally, but
\nnot exclusively, in the community