When you're considering heart surgery, one question matters most: "How will I feel afterward?" At UC Health, we strive to deliver safe, high-quality care that helps patients live healthier, fuller lives. One way our Cardiac Surgery team is doing just that is through a program that surveys patients about what their life looks like before and after surgery, even up to 12 months post-surgery.
The Patient-Reported Outcomes initiative is the first of its kind in the Tri-State area.
This innovative program introduces heart condition-specific questionnaires that give patients a way to share their experiences before and after cardiac surgery. These questionnaires complement the general quality-of-life survey already in use. Unlike traditional clinical metrics such as mortality rates or complications, the initiative focuses on what many patients care about most: their quality of life, symptom relief, recovery experience and overall well-being after surgery.
Why Patient-Reported Outcomes Matter
Patients often find it difficult to relate to traditional clinical metrics used to assess surgical outcomes, like survival rates or complication rates. Instead, their primary concerns are more personal:
- How will I feel after surgery?
- Will my symptoms improve?
- How will my quality of life be affected, and for how long?
The PRO tools developed by UC Health are designed to help answer these questions. They objectively assess several areas of health, including disease-specific symptoms and broader measures of mental, physical and social well-being.
In other words, these tools help us understand how patients are doing beyond what we can measure in a medical chart. They explore aspects of recovery that matter most to patients, including daily function, emotional health and the ability to return to normal activities.
“This is a very hot topic in healthcare right now,” says Cristiano Spadaccio, MD, PhD, cardiac surgeon and a key leader of the initiative. “Experts increasingly believe that PROs should guide our understanding of how effective our procedures truly are and inform clinical decision-making. By capturing these outcomes systematically, we’re bridging the gap between clinical success and patient-centered success.”
At the heart of this initiative is the belief that every patient’s voice matters. By providing a platform for patients to share their experiences and challenges, we are transforming care into a two-way conversation.
The information patients provide not only helps us better understand their individual recovery but also helps improve care for future patients facing similar heart conditions.
A Comprehensive and Personalized Approach
UC Health has created a robust program to capture patient-reported outcomes for every patient in our cardiothoracic surgery department.
Each patient completes questionnaires before surgery and at key milestones during recovery:
- At discharge
- One month after surgery
- Six months after surgery
- Twelve months after surgery
Participating is simple. Using a digital platform developed by researchers at UC Health, patients can complete questionnaires electronically from the comfort of home using a computer, tablet or smartphone.
“These regular follow-ups allow us to track recovery and quality of life over time,” says Dr. Spadaccio. “By continuously gathering and analyzing this data, we’re able to adjust care plans to better meet individual needs while also improving outcomes for future patients and our understanding of the natural trajectory of cardiac disease.”
This ongoing feedback helps our team better understand each patient's journey and identify opportunities to provide more personalized care throughout recovery.
Aligning with UC Health’s Mission
The PRO initiative embodies UC Health’s mission of building care that is individualized and designed for better outcomes for all.
By focusing on personal experiences, the program ensures that each patient’s journey helps inform the next, creating a cycle of continuous improvement.
For patients considering heart surgery, that means receiving care from a team committed not only to successful procedures but also to understanding what recovery and quality of life truly look like after treatment.
A Tri-State First
As the only PRO program of its kind in the Tri-State area, this initiative underscores UC Health’s commitment to innovation and excellence in healthcare.
By combining advanced surgical expertise with direct patient feedback, UC Health is helping redefine how cardiac recovery is measured and understood.
By leading the way in patient-centered cardiac care, we are setting a new standard for how healthcare systems approach recovery and outcomes.
Shaping the Future, Together
At UC Health, we believe patients are not just recipients of care—they are partners in the process.
The PRO initiative celebrates this partnership, empowering individuals to influence the next generation of cardiac care outcomes.
Every completed questionnaire helps us learn more about what matters most to patients, improve the care experience and support better outcomes for future generations of heart patients.
Together, we are building care that is boundless—impacting not only today but tomorrow.
Expert Heart Care, Made for You
If you're looking for a cardiologist or cardiac surgeon in Cincinnati or West Chester, UC Health offers advanced heart care designed around your needs, goals and quality of life.
Call 513-475-8521 or schedule online to connect with a UC Health heart specialist.
