scholarly journals Integrated Care for Heart Failure in Primary Care

Author(s):  
Monica Lorenzini ◽  
Caterina Ricci ◽  
Silvia Riccomi ◽  
Federica Abate ◽  
Barbara Casalgrandi ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 451
Author(s):  
Victar Hsieh ◽  
Glenn Paull ◽  
Barbara Hawkshaw

ObjectiveHeart failure (HF) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. A significant proportion of HF patients will have repeated hospital presentations. Effective integration between general practice and existing HF management programs may address some of the challenges in optimising care for this complex patient population. The Heart Failure Integrated Care Project (HFICP) investigated the barriers encountered by primary healthcare providers in providing care to patients with HF in the community. MethodsFive general practices in the St George and Sutherland regions (NSW, Australia) that employed practice nurses (PNs) were enrolled in the project. Participants responded to a printed survey that asked about their perceived role in the management of HF patients and their current knowledge and confidence in managing this condition. Participants also took part in a focus group meeting and were asked to identify barriers to improving HF patient management in general practice, and to offer suggestions about how the project could assist them to overcome those barriers. ResultsBarriers to effective delivery of HF management in general practice included clinical factors (consultation time limitations, underutilisation of patient management systems, identifying patients with HF, lack of patient self-care materials), professional factors (suboptimal hospital discharge summary letters, underutilisation of PNs), organisation factors (difficulties in communication with hospital staff, lack of education regarding HF management) and system issues (no Medicare rebate for B-type natriuretic peptide testing, insufficient Medicare rebate for using PN in chronic disease management). ConclusionsThe HFICP identified several barriers to improving integrated management for HF patients in the Australian setting. These findings provide important insights into how an HF integrated care model can be implemented to strengthen the working relationship between hospitals and primary care providers in delivering better care to HF patients. What is known about the topic?Multidisciplinary HF programs are heterogeneous in their structures, they have low patient participation rates and a significant proportion of HF patients have further presentations to hospital with HF. Integrating the care of HF patients into the primary care system following hospital admission remains challenging. What does this paper add?This paper identified several factors that hinder the effective delivery of care by primary care providers to patients with HF. What are the implications for practitioners?The findings provide important insights into how an HF integrated care model can be implemented to strengthen the working relationship between tertiary health facilities and primary care providers in delivering better care to HF patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Baldewijns ◽  
M Smeets ◽  
H Vandenhoudt

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Koning Boudewijn Stichting, Fonds Dr. Daniel De Konick Background The best HF-care is provided in a seamless system that includes both community- and hospital care to avoid hospital readmission. Essential elements to included in such a system are a.o. discharge planning, follow-up, multidisciplinary patient education, teamwork incl. shared professional education, medication optimisation and implementation of care pathways across settings.  Purpose To facilitate seamless HF-care in Belgium trough capacity building in primary care and improved communication between primary and specialist care. Methods HeartsConnect, a Learning Health care Network Heart Failure (LHCN-HF) was established and unites eight regional integrated care projects in Flanders, the Flemish speaking region of Belgium. This LHCN-HF organizes regular symposia on relevant topics for their members. Furthermore, materials to facilitate professional and patient education are being developed. To scale-up integrated care the LHCN-HF works together with several stakeholders. In addition, the process and results of the participating projects will be evaluated. Results Four symposia have taken place since the start of the LHCN. The discussed topics were project evaluation and data collection, the roles in a multidisciplinary team, data sharing and best practises. Narrated PowerPoints considering HF-management for GP’s, pharmacists and physiotherapists are being developed in collaboration with their professional associations. To scale-up integrated HF-care, the LHCN-HF works in close collaboration with the Belgian Working Group on Heart Failure and the Flemish Hospital Network. Together with national organizations the LHCN strives for the recognition of HF-nurses, standardized discharge planning, reimbursement of NT-pro-BNP and HF-education and the training of primary care nurses (PCN) in terms of HF-education, aligned with the existing initiatives of HF-nurse education. Conclusion  At this moment a seamless system of HF-care is not yet in place in Belgium. However, the LHCN-HF together with several HF-stakeholders aims to bridge existing gaps between primary- and specialist HF-care.


2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
MITCHEL L. ZOLER
Keyword(s):  

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 855.1-855
Author(s):  
E. Van Delft ◽  
K. H. Han ◽  
J. Hazes ◽  
D. Lopes Barreto ◽  
A. Weel

Background:Western countries experience an increasing demand for care, particularly for inflammatory arthritis (IA), while the healthcare budget decreases1. The innovative value-based primary care strategy2includes integrated care networks, where primary and secondary care bundle their expertise to improve patient value by providing the right care at the right place.General practitioners (GPs) have difficulties recognising IA, leading up to only 20% IA diagnoses of all newly referred arthralgia patients. However, since IA needs to be treated as early as possible to overcome progression, it is worthwhile to analyse whether integrated care networks have an impact on patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Triage by a rheumatologist in a primary care setting is one of the most promising integrated care networks for efficient referrals3.Objectives:To assess the effect of triage by a rheumatologist in a primary care setting in patients suspect for inflammatory arthritis.Methods:The present study follows a cluster randomized controlled trial design. The intervention, triage by a rheumatologist in a local primary care centre, will be compared to usual care. Usual care means that patients are referred to a rheumatology outpatient clinic based on the opinion of the general practitioner.The primary outcome is the frequency of IA diagnoses assessed by a rheumatologist. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs (EQ-5D)) and costs (work productivity (iPCQ) and healthcare utilization (iMCQ)) were determined at baseline, after three, six and twelve months. The target was to include 267 patients for each study group (power level 0.8). Since this study is still ongoing we can only show first results on the efficiency of referrals.Results:In the period between February 2017 and December 2019 a total of 543 participants were included; 275 in the usual care group and 268 in the triage group. Mean age (51.3 ± 14.6 years) and percentage of men (23.6%) were comparable between groups (page=0.139; psex=0.330).The preliminary data show that the number of referred patients in the triage group is n=28 (10.5%) (Fig. 1). 32 patients (11.9%) were not referred directly but advice was given for additional diagnostics. Since all patients in the usual care group were referred there is a decrease of at least 77.6% in referrals when rheumatologists are participating in the integrated practice units.Preliminary data on diagnosis are available for all referred patients in the triage group and for n=137 (49.8%) in the usual care group at this point. In the triage group n=18 (64.2%) of referred patients were diagnosed with IA (6.7% of the total study population). In the usual care group this was n=52 (38.0%) of the patients yet diagnosed.Conclusion:These preliminary results of an integrated care network are promising. Approximately three-quarters of all patients can be withheld from expensive outpatient care. PROMs data and cost-effectiveness analysis will give clear answers in order to provide evidence whether this integrated care network can be implemented as a standard of care.References:[1] Rijksoverheid. (2018). Bestuurlijk akkoord medisch-specialistische zorg 2019 t/m 2022.https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/.[2] Porter ME, Pabo EA, Lee TH. (2013). Redesigning Primary Care: a strategic vision to improve value by organizing around patients’ needs. Health affairs, 32(3);516-525[3] Akbari A, et al. (2008). Interventions to improve outpatient referrals from primary care to secondary care. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 4,CD005471.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e040781
Author(s):  
Pim P Valentijn ◽  
Marcel Kerkhoven ◽  
Jantien Heideman ◽  
Rosa Arends

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the association between integrated care and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a primary care practice population.DesignA cross-sectional survey study.SettingPrimary care practice population.ParticipantsA sample (n=5562) of patients in two general practitioner practices in the Netherlands.Primary outcome measuresThe Rainbow Model of Integrated Care Measurement Tool patient version and EQ-5D was used to assess integrated service delivery and HRQOL. The association between integrated care and HRQOL groups was analysed using multivariate logistic regression.ResultsOverall, 933 respondents with a mean age of 62 participated (20% response rate) in this study. The multivariate analysis revealed that positive organisational coordination experiences were linked to better HRQOL (OR=1.87, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.95), and less anxiety and depression problems (OR=0.36, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.63). Unemployment was associated with a poor HRQOL (OR=0.15, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.28). Ageing was associated with more mobility (OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.09), self-care (OR=1.06, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.11), usual activity (OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.05) and pain problems (OR=1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.04). Being married improved the overall HRQOL (OR=1.60, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.26) and decreased anxiety and depression (OR=0.47, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.72). Finally, females had a poor overall HRQOL (OR=1.67, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.93) and more pain and discomfort problems (OR=1.47, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.95).ConclusionThis study shows for the first time that organisational coordination activities are positively associated with HROQL of adult patients in a primary care context, adding to the evidence of an association between integrated care and HRQOL. Also, unemployment, ageing and being female are accumulating risk factors that should be considered when designing integrated primary care programmes. Further research is needed to explore how various integration types relate to HRQOL for people in local communities.


Heart ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
O W Nielsen ◽  
J Hilden ◽  
C T Larsen ◽  
J F Hansen

OBJECTIVETo examine a general practice population to measure the prevalence of signs and symptoms of heart failure (SSHF) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD).DESIGNCross sectional screening study in three general practices followed by echocardiography.SETTING AND PATIENTSAll patients ⩾ 50 years in two general practices and ⩾ 40 years in one general practice were screened by case record reviews and questionnaires (n = 2158), to identify subjects with some evidence of heart disease. Among these, subjects were sought who had SSHF (n = 115). Of 357 subjects with evidence of heart disease, 252 were eligible for examination, and 126 underwent further cardiological assessment, including 43 with SSHF.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESPrevalence of SSHF as defined by a modified Boston index, LVSD defined as an indirectly measured left ventricular ejection fraction ⩽ 0.45, and numbers of subjects needing an echocardiogram to detect one case with LVSD.RESULTSSSHF afflicted 0.5% of quadragenarians and rose to 11.7% of octogenarians. Two thirds were handled in primary care only. At ⩾ 50 years of age 6.4% had SSHF, 2.9% had LVSD, and 1.9% (95% confidence interval 1.3% to 2.5%) had both. To detect one case with LVSD in primary care, 14 patients with evidence of heart disease without SSHF and 5.5 patients with SSHF had to be examined.CONCLUSIONSSHF is extremely prevalent in the community, especially in primary care, but more than two thirds do not have LVSD. The number of subjects with some evidence of heart disease needing an echocardiogram to detect one case of LVSD is 14.


Open Heart ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e001425
Author(s):  
Marc Meller Søndergaard ◽  
Johannes Riis ◽  
Karoline Willum Bodker ◽  
Steen Møller Hansen ◽  
Jesper Nielsen ◽  
...  

AimLeft bundle branch block (LBBB) is associated with an increased risk of heart failure (HF). We assessed the impact of common ECG parameters on this association using large-scale data.Methods and resultsUsing ECGs recorded in a large primary care population from 2001 to 2011, we identified HF-naive patients with a first-time LBBB ECG. We obtained information on sex, age, emigration, medication, diseases and death from Danish registries. We investigated the association between the PR interval, QRS duration, and heart rate and the risk of HF over a 2-year follow-up period using Cox regression analysis.Of 2471 included patients with LBBB, 464 (18.8%) developed HF during follow-up. A significant interaction was found between QRS duration and heart rate (p<0.01), and the analyses were stratified on these parameters. Using a QRS duration <150 ms and a heart rate <70 beats per minute (bpm) as the reference, all groups were statistically significantly associated with the development of HF. Patients with a QRS duration ≥150 ms and heart rate ≥70 bpm had the highest risk of developing HF (HR 3.17 (95% CI 2.41 to 4.18, p<0.001). There was no association between the PR interval and HF after adjustment.ConclusionProlonged QRS duration and higher heart rate were associated with increased risk of HF among primary care patients with LBBB, while no association was observed with PR interval. Patients with LBBB with both a prolonged QRS duration (≥150 ms) and higher heart rate (≥70 bpm) have the highest risk of developing HF.


Author(s):  
Aoife Watson ◽  
Donna McConnell ◽  
Vivien Coates

Abstract Aim To determine which community-based interventions are most effective at reducing unscheduled hospital care for hypoglycaemic events in adults with diabetes. Methods Medline Ovid, CINAHL Plus and ProQuest Health and Medical Collection were searched using both key search terms and medical subject heading terms (MeSH) to identify potentially relevant studies. Eligible studies were those that involved a community-based intervention to reduce unscheduled admissions in adults with diabetes. Papers were initially screened by the primary researcher and then a secondary reviewer. Relevant data were then extracted from papers that met the inclusion criteria. Results The search produced 2226 results, with 1360 duplicates. Of the remaining 866 papers, 198 were deemed appropriate based on titles, 90 were excluded following abstract review. A total of 108 full papers were screened with 19 full papers included in the review. The sample size of the 19 papers ranged from n = 25 to n = 104,000. The average ages within the studies ranged from 41 to 74 years with females comprising 57% of the participants. The following community-based interventions were identified that explored reducing unscheduled hospital care in people with diabetes; telemedicine, education, integrated care pathways, enhanced primary care and care management teams. Conclusions This systematic review shows that a range of community-based interventions, requiring different levels of infrastructure, are effective in reducing unscheduled hospital care for hypoglycaemia in people with diabetes. Investment in effective community-based interventions such as integrated care and patient education must be a priority to shift the balance of care from secondary to primary care, thereby reducing hospital admissions.


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