scholarly journals Student Heart Failure Intervention Pilot (SHIP): A Study of Risk Factor Analytics and Population Outreach

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-73
Author(s):  
William Byron Reichert ◽  
Gerard Hoatam ◽  
Emily Schmidt ◽  
Michael Leher ◽  
Arathi Gorur ◽  
...  

Background: Heart failure (HF), the leading cause of hospitalization in adults over the age of 65, is a difficult-to-treat syndrome associated with high morbidity and mortality. Home-monitoring programs may help reduce HF-associated morbidity, but can be difficult to establish in smaller clinical settings. In this quality improvement project, we identified local patients at high risk of HF-related morbidity and hospitalizations, then implemented a medical student-based constant-contact program to encourage their follow-through on self-care.   Methods: Between June 2012 and September 2014, our clinic treated 197 patients for systolic or diastolic HF. These patients’ baseline characteristics were evaluated for trends that increased their risk for hospitalization. Of the high-risk patients identified (n=80), 12 (15%) were enrolled in the project. An 8-week constant-contact intervention was initiated through weekly calls. Patients’ health statuses were recorded and the importance of self-care was reiterated.   Results: High-risk HF patients were identified based on >10 clinic visits during the study period; 3 were lost to follow-up. Each patient completed two questionnaires at the study’s beginning and conclusion, with response rates of 67% (6/9) and 56% (5/9). Most participants reported symptom improvement and increased knowledge about their conditions.   Conclusion: Our preliminary population-guided, medical-student initiated intervention in a small clinical setting was designed to increase patient understanding and compliance and to improve HF symptoms. Although the study was limited by its low participation rate, drastic improvements in self-reported outcomes were noted among participants. A larger study with similar positive outcomes could ultimately influence follow-up methods.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia Johansson ◽  
Ponrathi Athilingam

BACKGROUND Presently, 6.5 million Americans are living with heart failure (HF). These patients are expected to follow a complex self-management regimen at home. Several demographic and psychosocial factors limit patients with HF in following the prescribed self-management recommendations at home. Poor self-care is associated with increased hospital readmissions. Under the Affordable Care Act, there are financial implications related to hospital readmissions for hospitals and programs such as the <i>Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly</i> (PACE) in Pinellas County, Florida. Previous studies and systematic reviews demonstrated improvement in self-management and quality of life (QoL) in patients with HF with structured telephone support (STS) and SMS text messaging. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effects of STS and SMS on self-care, knowledge, medication adherence, and QoL of patients with HF. METHODS A prospective quality improvement project using a pre-post design was implemented. Data were collected at baseline, 30 days, and 3 months from 51 patients with HF who were enrolled in PACE in Pinellas County, Florida. All participants received STS and SMS for 30 days. The feasibility and sustained benefit of using STS and SMS was assessed at a 3-month follow-up. RESULTS A paired <i>t</i> test was used to compare the mean difference in HF outcomes at the baseline and 30-day follow-up, which demonstrated improved HF self-care maintenance (<i>t</i> <sub>49</sub>=0.66; <i>P</i>=.01), HF knowledge (<i>t</i> <sub>49</sub>=0.71; <i>P</i>=.01), medication adherence (<i>t</i> <sub>49</sub>=0.92; <i>P</i>=.01), and physical and mental health measured using Short-Form-12 (SF-12; <i>t</i> <sub>49</sub>=0.81; <i>P</i>=.01). The results also demonstrated the sustained benefit with improved HF self-care maintenance, self-care management, self-care confidence, knowledge, medication adherence, and physical and mental health (SF-12) at 3 months with <i>P</i>&lt;.05 for all outcomes. Living status and social support had a strong correlation with HF outcomes. Younger participants (aged less than 65 years) performed extremely well compared with older adults. CONCLUSIONS STS and SMS were feasible to use among PACE participants with sustained benefits at 3 months. Implementing STS and SMS may serve as viable options to improve HF outcomes. Improving outcomes with HF affects hospital systems and the agencies that monitor and provide care for outpatients and those in independent or assisted-living facilities. Investigating viable options and support for implementation will improve outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Cardoso ◽  
M Coutinho ◽  
G Portugal ◽  
A Valentim ◽  
A.S Delgado ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Patients (P) submitted to cardiac ressynchronization therapy (CRT) are at high risk of heart failure (HF) events during follow-up. Continuous analysis of various physiological parameters, as reported by remote monitoring (RM), can contribute to point out incident HF admissions. Tailored evaluation, including multi-parameter modelling, may further increase the accuracy of such algorithms. Purpose Independent external validation of a commercially available algorithm (“Heart Failure Risk Status” HFRS, Medtronic, MN USA) in a cohort submitted to CRT implantation in a tertiary center. Methods Consecutive P submitted to CRT implantation between January 2013 and September 2019 who had regular RM transmissions were included. The HFRS algorithm includes OptiVol (Medtronic Plc., MN, USA), patient activity, night heart rate (NHR), heart rate variability (HRV), percentage of CRT pacing, atrial tachycardia/atrial fibrillation (AT/AF) burden, ventricular rate during AT/AF (VRAF), and detected arrhythmia episodes/therapy delivered. P were classified as low, medium or high risk. Hospital admissions were systematically assessed by use of a national database (“Plataforma de Dados de Saúde”). Accuracy of the HFRS algorithm was evaluated by random effects logistic regression for the outcome of unplanned hospital admission for HF in the 30 days following each transmission episode. Results 1108 transmissions of 35 CRT P, corresponding to 94 patient-years were assessed. Mean follow-up was 2.7 yrs. At implant, age was 67.6±9.8 yrs, left ventricular ejection fraction 28±7.8%, BNP 156.6±292.8 and NYHA class &gt;II in 46% of the P. Hospital admissions for HF were observed within 30 days in 9 transmissions. Stepwise increase in HFRS was significantly associated with higher risk of HF admission (odds ratio 12.7, CI 3.2–51.5). HFRS had good discrimination for HF events with receiving-operator curve AUC 0.812. Conclusions HFRS was significantly associated with incident HF admissions in a high-risk cohort. Prospective use of this algorithm may help guide HF therapy in CRT recipients. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Stepien ◽  
P Furczynska ◽  
M Zalewska ◽  
K Nowak ◽  
A Wlodarczyk ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Recently heart failure (HF) has been found to be a new dementia risk factor, nevertheless their relations in patients following HF decompensation remain unknown. Purpose We sought to investigate whether a screening diagnosis for dementia (SDD) in this high-risk population may predict unfavorable long-term clinical outcomes. Methods 142 patients following HF decompensation requiring hospitalization were enrolled. Within a median time of 55 months all patients were screened for dementia with ALFI-MMSE scale whereas their compliance was assessed with the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Any incidents of myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), revascularization, HF hospitalization and bleedings during follow-up were collected. Results SDD was established in 37 patients (26%) based on the result of an ALFI-MMSE score of &lt;17 points. By multivariate analysis the lower results of the ALFI-MMSE score were associated with a history of stroke/TIA (β=−0.29, P&lt;0.001), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (β=−0.20, P=0.011) and lower glomerular filtration rate (β=0.24, P=0.009). During the follow-up, patients with SDD were more often rehospitalized following HF decompensation (48.7% vs 28.6%, P=0.014) than patients without SDD, despite a similar level of compliance (P=0.25). Irrespective of stroke/TIA history, SDD independently increased the risk of rehospitalization due to HF decompensation (HR 2.22, 95% CI 1.23–4.01, P=0.007). Conclusions As shown for the first time in literature patients following decompensated HF, a history of stroke/TIA, PAD and impaired renal function independently influenced SDD. In this high-risk population, SDD was not associated with patients' compliance but irrespective of the stroke/TIA history it increased the risk of recurrent HF hospitalization. The survival free of rehospitalization Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e021966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Dellafiore ◽  
Cristina Arrigoni ◽  
Francesco Pittella ◽  
Gianluca Conte ◽  
Arianna Magon ◽  
...  

AimThe aim of this study was to critically analyse and describe gender differences related to self-care among patients with chronic heart failure (HF).Methods and resultsA monocentric real-world cohort of 346 patients with chronic HF in follow-up was used for this cross-sectional study. We report data related to the cohort’s demographic and clinical characteristics. Self-care was assessed using the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index before patients’ discharge. After bivariate analysis, logistical regression models were used to describe the relationship between gender, self-care behaviours and self-care confidence. While men were found to have more than quadruple the risk of poor self-care than women (OR 4.596; 95% CI 1.075 to 19.650), men were also found to be approximately 60% more likely to have adequate self-care confidence than women (OR 0.412; 95% CI 0.104 to 0.962). Considering that self-care confidence is described as a positive predictor of behaviours, our results suggest a paradox. It is possible that the patient–caregiver relationship mediates the effect of confidence on behaviours. Overall, adequate levels of self-care behaviours are a current issue, ranging 7.6%–18.0%.ConclusionThis study sets the stage for future research where elements of the patient–caregiver relationship ought to be considered to inform the planning of appropriate educational interventions. We recommend routinely measuring patients’ self-care behaviours to guide their follow-up and as a basis for any changes in their daily life behaviours.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan J Rowin ◽  
Barry J Maron ◽  
Tammy S Haas ◽  
John R Lesser ◽  
Mark S Link ◽  
...  

Background: Increasing penetration of high spatial resolution cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging into routine cardiovascular practice has resulted in more frequent identification of a subset of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients with thin-walled, scarred left ventricular (LV) apical aneurysms. Prior experience involved relatively small numbers of patients with short follow-up and therefore the risk associated with this subgroup remains incompletely defined. Therefore, we assembled a large HCM cohort with LV apical aneurysms and long-term follow-up in order to clarify clinical course and prognosis. Methods and Results: Of 2,400 HCM patients, 60 (2.5%) were identified by CMR with LV apical aneurysm, 24 to 86 years of age, including 19 (32%) <45 years old; 70% male, and followed for 5.6 ± 3.5 years. Over the follow-up period, 24 patients experienced 31 adverse disease-related complications including: appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator discharge for VT/VF (n=11), received or listed for heart transplant (n=6), heart failure death (n=5), nonfatal thromboembolic events (n=4), resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (n=3), and sudden death (n=2). In addition, an intracavitary thrombus was identified in the apical aneurysm in 9 patients without a thromboembolic history. Combined HCM-related death and aborted life threatening event rate was 8.6% per year, nearly 6-fold greater than the 1.5% annual mortality rate reported in the general HCM population. Conclusions: Patients with LV apical aneurysms represent a high-risk subgroup within the diverse HCM spectrum, associated with substantial increased risk for disease-related morbidity and mortality, including advanced heart failure, thromboembolic stroke and sudden death. Identification of this unique HCM phenotype should prompt consideration for primary prevention ICD, and anticoagulation for stroke prophylaxis.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 753-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Boisvert ◽  
Alexandra Proulx-Belhumeur ◽  
Natalia Gonçalves ◽  
Michel Doré ◽  
Julie Francoeur ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective: to analyze and summarize knowledge concerning critical components of interventions that have been proposed and implemented by nurses with the aim of optimizing self-care by heart failure patients.Methods: PubMed and CINAHL were the electronic databases used to search full peer-reviewed papers, presenting descriptions of nursing interventions directed to patients or to patients and their families and designed to optimize self-care. Forty-two studies were included in the final sample (n=4,799 patients).Results: this review pointed to a variety and complexity of nursing interventions. As self-care encompasses several behaviors, interventions targeted an average of 3.6 behaviors. Educational/counselling activities were combined or not with cognitive behavioral strategies, but only about half of the studies used a theoretical background to guide interventions. Clinical assessment and management were frequently associated with self-care interventions, which varied in number of sessions (1 to 30); length of follow-up (2 weeks to 12 months) and endpoints.Conclusions: these findings may be useful to inform nurses about further research in self-care interventions in order to propose the comparison of different modalities of intervention, the use of theoretical background and the establishment of endpoints to evaluate their effectiveness.


Author(s):  
Getahun Fetensa ◽  
Birhanu Yadecha ◽  
Tadesse Tolossa ◽  
Tariku Tesfaye Bekuma

Background: Chronic heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome with typical symptoms that can occur at rest or on effort. It requires patients to manage their lifestyle with their disease and when to notify their healthcare provider. The study was aimed to identify medication adherence and associated factors among chronic heart failure clients on follow up Oromia region, West Ethiopia, 2017. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed, after selecting three hospitals by lottery method and allocating respondents to the three hospitals proportionally. A total of 424 patients were admitted to the medical ward and/or chronic follow up of Nekemte referral, Gimbi, and Shambu hospitals. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The data was entered into Epi-data version 3.1, cleared, explored, and then exported to SPSS windows version 24.0 for further analysis. Variable having a p-value less than 0.05 in the bivariate analysis was a candidate for multivariable analysis and the effect of confounding variables was observed. Variables having a p-value less than 0.05 in the multivariable analysis were assumed significant. Results: A total of 424 respondents were included in the final analysis giving a 95.3% response rate. The result indicated that more than half of the study participants have adhered to prescribed medication. Respondents with good medication adherence were more likely to adhere to good self-care behavior [AOR (95% CI of OR) = 3.5(2.044, 5.96)]. Respondents whose limited fluid intake was one or half-liter per day were more likely to adhere to the medication [AOR (95% CI of OR) = 2.5(1.43, 4.49)]. It was also found that those patients who avoided spices, sauces and others in food are more likely to adhere to the medication [AOR (95% CI of OR) = 2.2 (1.152, 4.039)]. Conclusion and Recommendation: Even if more than half of the study respondents have good medication and self-care adherence, still it needs great attention in health education over their visit. Health institutions are strongly recommended to give health education for clients and researchers to use advanced study design for measuring medication adherence and self-care behaviors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Michelle Ogunwole ◽  
Jason Phillips ◽  
Amber Gossett ◽  
John Richard Downs

BackgroundDespite improvements in length of stay and mortality, congestive heart failure (CHF) remains the most common cause of 30-day readmissions to the hospital. Though multiple studies have found that early follow-up after discharge (eg, within 7 days) is critical to improving 30-day readmissions, implementation strategies are challenging in resource-limited settings. Here we present a quality improvement initiative aimed at improving early follow-up while maximising available resources.MethodsThis was a medical resident-driven initiative. A process map of the discharge and follow-up appointment process was created that identified multiple areas for improvement. Based on these findings, a two-part intervention was implemented. First, heart failure discharge education with focus on early follow-up was disseminated to providers throughout the internal medicine department. Subsequently, improved identification of high-risk patients (Failure Intervention Risk StratificationTool) and innovative use of the existing electronic medical record (EMR) were employed to sustain and improve on gains from the first set of interventions.ResultsWe increased our 7-day follow-up rate from 47% to 57% (p=0.429) and decreased the average time to follow-up from 17.6 days to 8.7 days (p=0.016) following the first intervention. The percentage of patients readmitted within 30 days after discharge at baseline (2012–2013) and following the first intervention (education and standardisation of follow-up scheduling) and second intervention (risk stratification, intensive follow-up and EMR change) was 25% and 21%, respectively. Thirty-day mortality rate decreased from 10% in 2011 to 7.16% in December 2015.ConclusionClose hospital discharge follow-up and identification of high-risk patients with CHF are useful approaches to reduce readmissions. Using the existing EMR tool for identifying high-risk patients and improving adherence to best practices is an effective intervention. In patients with CHF these strategies improved time to follow-up and 30-day readmissions while decreasing mortality.


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