The Impact of Telephonic Follow-Up Within 2 Business Days Postdischarge on 30-Day Readmissions for Patients With Heart Failure

2021 ◽  
pp. JDNP-D-19-00079
Author(s):  
Victoria M. Chestnut ◽  
Karen Vadyak ◽  
Matthew M. McCambridge ◽  
Michael J. Weiss

BackgroundHeart failure (HF) is a chronic condition associated with high rates of hospital readmissions. The prevalence and costs of HF are expected to rise dramatically by 2030 (Heidenreich,et al., 2013).ObjectiveA 24-month, retrospective study was conducted using electronic medical record (EMR) chart review, seeking to identify if postdischarge follow-up phone calls decreased 30-day readmissions in individuals with HF.MethodsThe study included 705 adult participants who were admitted to the hospital for HF. Some received a postdischarge call within 2 business days of discharge, and some did not.ResultsParticipants who received the postdischarge call were less likely to be readmitted (20.1%) than participants who did not receive a postdischarge call (28.8%; p = .007). Participants who received the postdischarge call were more likely to have a follow-up visit within 14 days (70.1%) than participants who did not receive a postdischarge call (30.2%; p < .001).ConclusionsThe findings from this study may help to drive future transitional care strategies for individuals diagnosed with HF.Implications for NursingNurse-led transitional care interventions offer potential solutions to ensure safe, effective hospital discharges.

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluigi Savarese ◽  
Camilla Hage ◽  
Ulf Dahlström ◽  
Pasquale Perrone-Filardi ◽  
Lars H Lund

Introduction: Changes in N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) have been demonstrated to correlate with outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (EF). However the prognostic value of a change in NT-proBNP in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) is unknown. Hypothesis: To assess the impact of changes in NT-proBNP on all-cause mortality, HF hospitalization and their composite in an unselected population of patients with HFPEF. Methods: 643 outpatients (age 72+12 years; 41% females) with HFPEF (ejection fraction ≥40%) enrolled in the Swedish Heart Failure Registry between 2005 and 2012 and reporting NT-proBNP levels assessment at initial registration and at follow-up were prospectively studied. Patients were divided into 2 groups according the median value of NT-proBNP absolute change that was 0 pg/ml. Median follow-up from first measurement was 2.25 years (IQR: 1.43 to 3.81). Adjusted Cox’s regression models were performed using total mortality, HF hospitalization (with censoring at death) and their composite as outcomes. Results: After adjustments for 19 baseline variables including baseline NT-proBNP, as compared with an increase in NT-proBNP levels at 6 months (NT-proBNP change>0 pg/ml), a reduction in NT-proBNP levels (NT-proBNP change<0 pg/ml) was associated with a 45.2% reduction in risk of all-cause death (HR: 0.548; 95% CI: 0.378 to 0.796; p:0.002), a 50.1% reduction in risk of HF hospitalization (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.362 to 0.689; p<0.001) and a 42.6% reduction in risk of the composite outcome (HR: 0.574; 95% CI: 0.435 to 0.758; p<0.001)(Figure). Conclusions: Reductions in NT-proBNP levels over time are independently associated with an improved prognosis in HFPEF patients. Changes in NT-proBNP could represent a surrogate outcome in phase 2 HFPEF trials.


Author(s):  
Hai Mai Ba ◽  
Youn-Jung Son ◽  
Kyounghoon Lee ◽  
Bo-Hwan Kim

Heart failure (HF) is a life-limiting illness and presents as a gradual functional decline with intermittent episodes of acute deterioration and some recovery. In addition, HF often occurs in conjunction with other chronic diseases, resulting in complex comorbidities. Hospital readmissions for HF, including emergency department (ED) visits, are considered preventable. Majority of the patients with HF are often discharged early in the recovery period with inadequate self-care instructions. To address these issues, transitional care interventions have been implemented with the common objective of reducing the rate of hospital readmission, including ED visits. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the benefits and adverse effects of transitional care interventions on clinical outcomes and patient-related outcomes of patients with HF. This integrative review aims to identify the components of transitional care interventions and the effectiveness of these interventions in improving health outcomes of patients with HF. Five databases were searched from January 2000 to December 2019, and 25 articles were included.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuri Sakai ◽  
Atsuhiko Yagishita ◽  
Masahiro Morise ◽  
Susumu Sakama ◽  
Takeshi Ijichi ◽  
...  

AbstractWe sought to demonstrate the impact of improved peak exercise oxygen consumption (V̇O2) during maximal exercise testing after cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on the incidence of arrhythmias in patients with heart failure (HF). The present study comprised of 220 patients with HF, and peak V̇O2 was examined at 2 and 5 months after CR. Of the 220 patients, 110 (50%) had a low peak V̇O2 of < 14 mL/min/kg at 2 months. The peak V̇O2 improved in 86 of these 110 (78%) patients at 5 months after CR. During a median follow-up of 6 years, the patients with improvement in peak V̇O2, compared to those without peak V̇O2 improvement, had a lower rate of mortality (4% vs. 29%, log-rank, P < 0.001) and HF hospitalization (6 vs. 17%, log-rank, P = 0.044) and a lower incidence of new-onset atrial arrhythmias (9 vs. 27%, log-rank, P = 0.013), with no difference in the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias between groups (1 vs. 4%, log-rank, P = 0.309). The majority of deaths in the patients without an improved peak V̇O2 were because of cardiovascular events (73%), particularly progressive HF (55%). Early detection and management of atrial arrhythmias may improve outcomes in patients without peak V̇O2 improvement after CR.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. e0127796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Maria Avaldi ◽  
Jacopo Lenzi ◽  
Ilaria Castaldini ◽  
Stefano Urbinati ◽  
Giuseppe Di Pasquale ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
R Fujita ◽  
K Takabayashi ◽  
K Iwatsu ◽  
K Matsumura ◽  
T Ikeda ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Polypharmacy creates an increased patient's burden by drug-drug interactions and poor adherence. However, there are very few studies available evaluating the association of polypharmacy with hospital readmission in patients with heart failure (HF). Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of polypharmacy on hospital readmission for HF. Methods We enrolled 1253 patients who were hospitalized with acute heart failure (AHF) or acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure in the Kitakawachi Clinical Background and Outcome of Heart Failure Registry (KICKOFF Registry) from April 2015 to July 2018 (age 78.1±11.5 years, male 51.4%). Our Registry is a prospective multicenter community-based cohort study of HF patients in Japan. The inclusion criteria for the registry was a diagnosis of HF during hospitalization according to the Framingham criteria, and there were no exclusion criteria. From data at discharge, we collected data on clinical characteristics, medication schedule, and social backgrounds. We defined polypharmacy as the use of seven or more medications. The primary end point was HF rehospitalization within 1 year after discharge. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to describe the association between polypharmacy and 1-year HF rehospitalization, controlling for potential confounding factors. Results In this study, the prevalence of polypharmacy was 59.7% of all patients. Patients with polypharmacy were more likely to have comorbidities such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease and dementia. They also had lower EF (50.9±0.64 vs 53.6±0.80, p<0.01), compared to patients without polypharmacy. There was no significant difference in age, gender and BMI, compared to patients without polypharmacy. During the follow-up period, a total of 278 patients (24.9%) were readmitted for HF. In Kaplan-Meier analyses, hospital readmission for HF during 1-year follow-up was significantly higher in patients with polypharmacy (p<0.01) (figure). After adjusting for gender, age, EF, and the other co-morbidities, polypharmacy was independently associated with higher risk of rehospitalization for HF (hazard ratio 1.28, 95% confidence interval, 1.07–1.52, p<0.01). Conclusion Polypharmacy is an independent predictor of hospital readmission for HF. Our study suggests the need for developing an effective strategy to choose the appropriate drugs in patients with HF. Acknowledgement/Funding Nakajima Steel Pipe


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Pinheiro ◽  
Ryan Hartman ◽  
Jing Mai ◽  
Erick Romero ◽  
Saad Soroya ◽  
...  

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of shared care networks on heart failure readmission rates. Background: Higher-than-expected heart failure (HF) readmissions affect half of US hospitals every year. The Hospital Reduction Readmission Program (HRRP) has reduced risk-adjusted readmissions, but it has also produced unintended consequences. Shared care models have been advocated for HF care, but the association of shared care networks with HF readmissions has never been investigated. Methods: We curated publicly available data on hospital discharges and HF excessive readmission ratios (ERRs) from hospitals in California between 2012 and 2017. Shared Care Areas (SCAs) were delineated as data-driven units of care coordination emerging from discharge networks. The localization index (LI), the proportion of patients who reside in the same SCA in which they are admitted, were calculated by year. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to evaluate the association between the LI and the ERR of hospitals controlling for race/ethnicity and socioeconomics factors. Results: A total of 300 hospitals in California in a 6-yr period were included. The HF excessive readmission ratio (ERR) was negatively associated with the localization index (beta: -0.0474; 95% CI: -0.082 to -0.013). The percentage of Black residents within the SCAs was the only statistically significant covariate (beta: 0.4128; 95% CI: 0.302 to 0.524). Conclusions: Higher-than-expected HF readmissions were associated with shared care networks. Control mechanisms such as the HRRP may need to characterize and reward shared care to guide hospitals towards a more organized HF care system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Leon-Justel ◽  
Jose I. Morgado Garcia-Polavieja ◽  
Ana Isabel Alvarez-Rios ◽  
Francisco Jose Caro Fernandez ◽  
Pedro Agustin Pajaro Merino ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) is a major and growing medical and economic problem, with high prevalence and incidence rates worldwide. Cardiac Biomarker is emerging as a novel tool for improving management of patients with HF with a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF). Methods This is a before and after interventional study, that assesses the impact of a personalized follow-up procedure for HF on patient’s outcomes and care associated cost, based on a clinical model of risk stratification and personalized management according to that risk. A total of 192 patients were enrolled and studied before the intervention and again after the intervention. The primary objective was the rate of readmissions, due to a HF. Secondary outcome compared the rate of ED visits and quality of life improvement assessed by the number of patients who had reduced NYHA score. A cost-analysis was also performed on these data. Results Admission rates significantly decreased by 19.8% after the intervention (from 30.2 to 10.4), the total hospital admissions were reduced by 32 (from 78 to 46) and the total length of stay was reduced by 7 days (from 15 to 9 days). The rate of ED visits was reduced by 44% (from 64 to 20). Thirty-one percent of patients had an improved functional class score after the intervention, whereas only 7.8% got worse. The overall cost saving associated with the intervention was € 72,769 per patient (from € 201,189 to € 128,420) and €139,717.65 for the whole group over 1 year. Conclusions A personalized follow-up of HF patients led to important outcome benefits and resulted in cost savings, mainly due to the reduction of patient hospitalization readmissions and a significant reduction of care-associated costs, suggesting that greater attention should be given to this high-risk cohort to minimize the risk of hospitalization readmissions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Huiyang Li ◽  
Peng Zhou ◽  
Yikai Zhao ◽  
Huaichun Ni ◽  
Xinping Luo ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the association between malnutrition assessed by the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score and all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Settings: A comprehensively literature search of PubMed and Embase databases was performed until 30 November 2020. Studies reporting the utility of CONUT score in prediction of all-cause mortality among patients with heart failure were eligible. Patients with a CONUT score ≥2 are grouped as malnourished. Predictive values of the CONUT score were summarized by pooling the multivariable-adjusted risk ratios (RR) with 95 % CI for the malnourished v. normal nutritional status or per point CONUT score increase. Participants: Ten studies involving 5196 patients with heart failure. Results: Malnourished patients with heart failure conferred a higher risk of all-cause mortality (RR 1·92; 95 % CI 1·58, 2·34) compared with the normal nutritional status. Subgroup analysis showed the malnourished patients with heart failure had an increased risk of in-hospital mortality (RR 1·78; 95 % CI 1·29, 2·46) and follow-up mortality (RR 2·01; 95 % CI 1·58, 2·57). Moreover, per point increase in CONUT score significantly increased 16% risk of all-cause mortality during the follow-up. Conclusions: Malnutrition defined by the CONUT score is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure. Assessment of nutritional status using CONUT score would be helpful for improving risk stratification of heart failure.


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.


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