There's no single person to call
Several U.S. medical organizations are involved in writing the guidelines that shape when ablation gets offered, working together through joint task forces. The practical problem for patients: there isn't one person or office you can contact to ask “why is the threshold set where it is,” or to push for it to change.
The most recent full joint U.S. guideline on ventricular arrhythmias dates to 2017. That's a long time in a field where mapping technology, provocation techniques, and ablation tools have all moved forward significantly since.
Figuring out exactly who was in the room and what was decided is nearly impossible for an average patient to track down — but understanding the structure is the first step toward knowing who to push.
HRS doesn't write the rules alone
The Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) doesn't publish standalone national guidelines on ventricular arrhythmias. Instead, it co-authors them jointly with the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA), contributing electrophysiology expertise into the broader cardiovascular guideline.
“Who co-authors U.S. arrhythmia guidelines from HRS?”
Answer: ACC, AHA, and HRS together, typically through a joint task force with representatives from each society — sometimes joined by others, such as the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP). HRS's own role in this process is overseen by its Clinical Guidelines Committee, working with the HRS Executive Committee and outside reviewers.
How recent guidelines have been co-authored
| Guideline | Co-author societies | HRS's role |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Ventricular Arrhythmias & SCD | ACC, AHA, HRS | Co-author via joint task force |
| 2023 Atrial Fibrillation | ACC, AHA, ACCP, HRS | Co-author and contributor |
| HRS guideline process generally | — | Clinical Guidelines Committee oversees development |
The guidelines patients actually live under
In plain terms: the most recent full joint U.S. guideline is still from 2017. There's been no newer AHA/ACC/HRS replacement since. What exists instead are two significant updates — the 2019 HRS global consensus (which is procedure-focused rather than a full guideline replacement) and the 2022 ESC guideline out of Europe, covered on our Safety & Evidence page.
Read the guidelines yourself
Links to be confirmed and inserted before publishing.
Why this matters for advocacy
Because these guidelines are jointly authored rather than owned by a single body, meaningful change means engaging HRS, ACC, and AHA together — not picking one and hoping the others follow. Knowing the structure is what makes it possible to write to the right committee, at the right organization, instead of a general inbox that goes nowhere.