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• Background Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Risk factors include smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. Without an understanding of these risk factors, women are poorly prepared to carry out preventive self-care actions to reduce their risk. • Objectives To describe perceptions of cardiovascular risk factors and risk-reducing behaviors among women with newly diagnosed coronary heart disease. • Methods A descriptive study was done in a large midwestern suburban hospital. A nonprobability sample of 33 women with coronary heart disease completed a mail questionnaire. Data were collected by using the Coronary Heart Disease Knowledge Test, the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and questions developed for the study. • Results Thirty-three women responded. Mean age was 65.64 years (range, 36–85 years; SD, 11.32 years); mean educational level was 12.67 years (range, 8–18 years; SD, 1.79 years). Most of the respondents could not identify personal cardiovascular risk factors; the risks identified were considerably fewer and differed from those documented in the women’s medical records. Women reported moderate levels of most risk-reducing behaviors and low levels of physical activity. • Conclusions Women with coronary heart disease may not know what risk factors they have. Women must have their risk factors assessed and should be counseled about those risks.

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Background Early post-discharge follow-up after heart failure (HF) hospitalization is associated with lower 30-day readmission rates. Objectives Evaluate an inter-hospital collaborative approach to improve 7-day post-discharge follow-up (7dFU) rates and reduce 30-day readmissions in HF patients. Methods Observational analysis of Medicare HF patients discharged from 10 collaborating hospitals (CH) participating in the Southeast Michigan See You in 7 Collaborative. We compared pre-intervention (May 1, 2011–April 30, 2012) and intervention (May 1, 2012–April 30, 2013) 7dFU, unadjusted 30-day readmission, risk-standardized 30-day readmission (RSRR), and Medicare payments in CH and Michigan non-participating hospitals (NPH). Results 7dFU increased but remained low in both groups (CH: 31.1% to 34.4%, p<0.001; NPH: 30.2% to 32.6%, p<0.001). During the intervention period, unadjusted readmissions significantly decreased in both groups (CH: 29.0% to 27.3%, p<0.001; NPH: 26.4% to 25.8%, p=0.004); mean RSRR decreased more in CH than NPH (CH: 31.1% to 28.5%, p<0.001; NPH: 26.7% to 26.1%, p=0.02; p=0.015 for inter-group comparison). Findings were similar when CH was matched 1:1 with similar NPH. Combined Medicare payments for inpatient and 30 days of post-discharge care decreased by $182 in the CH and by $63 in NPH (per eligible HF discharge). Conclusions See you in 7 Collaborative participation was associated with significantly lower 30-day readmission and Medicare payments in HF patients. Increases in 7dFU were modest, but associated processes aimed at this goal may have improved the transition from inpatient to outpatient care. Regional hospital collaboration to share best practices could potentially reduce HF readmissions and associated costs.