PH Professional Network: Real-World Implementation: Nursing Role in Balancing the Art and Science of PAH Risk Assessment

Comprehensive serial risk assessment in pulmonary arterial hypertension has shown to determine prognosis, monitor disease progression, and guide treatment decisions. The treatment goal is to achieve a low-risk status, which is associated with lower mortality rate. However, use of formal risk assessment in clinical practice has been inconsistent due to numerous barriers related to the multivariable nature of the scores. This publication reviews strategies to increase risk evaluation in daily clinical practice, while emphasizing the role of the RN and APRN in implementing risk assessment calculation and skillful communication to the patient-family dyad to promote open dialogue with shared decision making and improved patient outcomes.