Heart Failure Group Appointments: Rehospitalization Prevention Clinical Trial

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This study addresses, "Self-Management Strategies Across Chronic Diseases" and Healthy People 2010 goal 12-6 to reduce HF hospitalizations. Heart failure (HF) affects 5 million Americans, with costs estimated at $28.8 billion annually. Yet, in 2004, only 31% of HF patients received even the basic JCAHO- recommended discharge education. Public Health can be approved by intensive HF discharge and post- hospital follow-up programs. Thus, a practical intervention was created that combines HF patient group clinic appointments/multidisciplinary discussion sessions and structured self-management with patient checklist diaries, algorithms and telephone reinforcement. The intervention is based on American College of Cardiology national guidelines, emphasizing patient self-management (Bodenheimer, 2005) and the Healthcare Improvement Initiative for Idealized Clinical Practices. To assure all patients in the study have the equal and nationally recommended HF education each subject is provided with our HF videotape series (produced under SBIR 1R43AG). The specific aims are to test effects of the intervention on the composite primary endpoint of rehospitalization or death and secondary endpoints of health services use, cost efficiency, patient health status and HF quality of life. Also measured are patient HF knowledge, self- management behavior, preparedness for home care, participation with professionals and timeliness of symptom-reporting. This is a randomized clinical trial with 1treatment and 1 standard care (control) group. Each group will have 92 HF patients, total sample of n=184. Multivariate linear mixed model analyses will be used to test effects of the intervention over 12 months. Traditional cost analysis and innovative cost- efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis will be used to compare group intervention costs. Comparisons of costs to other HF programs will be reported. The long-term goals are to improve HF self-management and timely reporting of symptoms using safe and cost-efficient and practical interventions. The group clinic appointments with discussion sessions support and engage patients in self-management (checklist diaries/symptom reporting algorithms), strengthen their HF home management and reduce overall re- hospitalization rates.