Effect of patient activation on self-management in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Few studies have examined whether chronic heart failure (HF) outcomes can be improved by increasing patient engagement (known as activation) in care and capabilities for self-care management. The objective was to determine the efficacy of a patient activation intervention compared with usual care on activation, self-care management, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits in patients with HF. METHODS: This study used a randomized, 2-group, repeated-measures design. After consent was given, 84 participants were stratified by activation level and randomly assigned to usual care (n = 41) or usual care plus the intervention (n = 43). The primary outcomes and measures were patient activation using the Patient Activation Measure (PAM), self-management using the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Specific Adherence Scale, and hospitalizations and emergency department visits. The intervention was a 6-month program to increase activation and improve HF self-management behaviors, such as adhering to medications and implementing health behavior goals. RESULTS: Participants were primarily male (99%), were white (77%), and had New York Heart Association III stage (52%). The mean (SD) age was 66 (11) years, and 71% reported 3 or more comorbidities. The intervention group compared with the usual care group showed a significant increase in activation/PAM scores from baseline to 6 months. No significant group-by-time interactions were found for the SCHFI scales. Although the baseline MOS Specific Adherence Scale mean was lower in the intervention group, results showed a significant group-by-time effect with the intervention group improving more over time. Participants in the intervention group had fewer hospitalizations compared with the usual care group when the baseline activation/PAM level was low or high. CONCLUSION: This study supports the importance of targeted interventions to improve patient activation or engagement in HF care. Further work is needed related to HF self-management measurement and outcomes.

Critical pathway for the management of acute heart failure at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System: transforming performance measures into cardiac care.

BACKGROUND: Acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a major public health problem and leading cause for hospitalization in people 65 years and older. Admission rates for ADHF, accounted for more than 1 million heart failure (HF) hospitalizations in 2004, and more than 6.5 million inpatient hospital days. Despite significant advances in HF management, including pharmacotherapy and devices; and extensive collaborative efforts of the American College of Cardiology, and American Heart Association to disseminate evidence-based practice guidelines for management of chronic HF in adults; 3 patients continue to present to the emergency departments in ADHF. The hospital treatment of HF frequently does not follow published guidelines, potentially contributing to the high morbidity, mortality, and economic cost of this disorder. This highlights an ongoing need for development of quality improvement programs that focus on delivering reliable, evidence-based care for patients with ADHF. Consequently, the development of clinical pathways has the potential to reduce the current variability in care, enhance guideline adherence, and improve outcomes for patients. METHODS: The Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHCS) formed a multidisciplinary HF performance improvement team. The team set forth on the task of developing standard order sets for patients with ADHF. After analyzing local care processes, reviewing evidence of best care practices, and defining appropriate goals to satisfy the multidimensional needs of HF patient; the team developed a computerized pathway in a user-friendly format that is simple, yet comprehensive; and focuses on early stages of HF evaluation and treatment for patients presenting to the emergency department. RESULTS: Successful strategies to improve care for HF patients need to assist health care providers with rapid recognition and early aggressive treatment, while creating a reliable process that ensures continuity of care. This critical pathway for management of acute HF at the VASDHCS provides computerized order sets that guide health care providers through accepted treatment regimens, providing documentation of treatment and assists with compliance data collection. The quality of the care is assessed by monitoring the nationally established performance measures for HF. Through the use of the HF computerized order sets, the VASDHCS currently achieves a performance level above most Joint Commission accredited organizations and in many areas achieves the best possible results compared with the top 10% of hospitals in the nation.

Management strategies to meet the core heart failure measures for acute decompensated heart failure: a nursing perspective.

Despite enormous advances in the medical management of heart disease, heart failure (HF) persists as a leading cause of hospitalization in our elderly. In 2001, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology published Guidelines for Secondary Prevention for Patients With Coronary and Other Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease. The guidelines proactively responded to a growing body of evidence confirming that comprehensive risk factor management and risk reduction improve quality of life and survival, while reducing recurrent cardiovascular events. In spite of the well-crafted, comprehensive HF guidelines, morbidity, mortality, and hospital readmission rates for acute decompensated heart failure remain high, and adherence to HF guidelines is not always optimal. The Joint Commission has implemented a number of quality care performance indicators based on the Guidelines for Secondary Prevention; among them are the Core HF Measures for hospitalized HF patients. The Core HF Measures are endorsed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid and has been adopted as a national benchmark for measurement and public reporting of healthcare performance and for Medicare payments (Joint Commission). The implementation and monitoring of Core HF Measures has prioritized attention toward patient education and risk factor modification to prevent future hospitalization. Critical care nurses are on the frontline to champion uptake and adherence of Core HF Measures. The purpose of this article is to highlight the critical component that nursing care, guided by the Core HF Measures, can offer to improve the quality of patient care in acute decompensated heart failure.

Natriuretic peptides: diagnostic tools and predictors of heart failure outcome.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a progressive disease whose outcome largely depends on early, accurate and prompt diagnosis, accompanied by evidence-based treatment. The explosion of uptake of natriuretic peptides (NPs) in clinical practice belies an understanding of how peptides are used. The signal for NP release is the same signal that causes symptoms of CHF, such as increased wall stress. Thus, NPs can reliably add to the information a physician brings to the table as they attempt to diagnose the acutely dyspneic patient with CHF. Additionally, NPs have strong prognostic utility in the emergency room and the hospital. Monitoring of NPs during treatment for acute CHF may help manage the patient. In the future, it is possible that NPs will play a more prominent role in early detection of left ventricular dysfunction as well as guiding chronic CHF treatment.