Impact of Focussed Care in Heart Failure Patients on Hospital Readmission and Mortality

Abstract

Objectives: To compare patient health outcomes like mortality and rehospitalisation among heart failure patients receiving focussed care under HF clinics and those receiving usual care under regular cardiac outpatient department. Methods: A total of 200 heart failure patients who consulted in Heart Failure clinic and general cardiology outpatient department during the year of 2017 who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected for the study. The study was carried out in a tertiary care Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery hospital with a dedicated well established heart failure clinic in Kerala, for a period of 1 year. Patients were followed retrospectively for a period of one year and relevant patient data were obtained from the electronic medical record. The data collected were then evaluated for health outcomes like rehospitalisation and mortality among the two groups. Results: Among the total number of rehospitalisation's reported, only 32.8% of them were from Heart Failure clinic while 67.2% of reported rehospitalisation's were from general cardiology outpatient department. Chi square test was applied and statistically significant difference was obtained when mortality rate was compared between the two study groups. 80% of reported cases of death was among patients who consulted in general cardiology outpatient department while only 20% was from Heart Failure clinic. Conclusion: Management of heart failure patients in heart failure clinic was associated with significant reduction in one year mortality and rehospitalisation.