ABSTRACT
Heart failure affects 5.1 million Americans. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in older adults and the most common cause of readmissions, which cost approximately $12 billion annually. Readmissions can be reduced through increased nurses' knowledge in heart failure.
Subject(s)
Clinical Competence , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Heart Failure/nursing , Nursing Evaluation Research , Nursing Staff, Hospital/education , Patient Readmission/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Educational Measurement , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , United States , Young AdultABSTRACT
A collaborative and participative approach is helpful in reducing the transmission of bloodborne pathogens and other sharps-related injuries.
Subject(s)
Infection Control/methods , Needlestick Injuries/prevention & control , Occupational Health , Operating Room Nursing/organization & administration , Personnel, Hospital , Blood-Borne Pathogens , Connecticut , Equipment Safety , Health Policy , Humans , Medical Waste Disposal/methods , Organizational Culture , Patient Care Team/organization & administration , Professional Staff Committees/organization & administrationABSTRACT
HEART Failure Effectiveness & Leadership Team (HEARTFELT) is a multifaceted intervention designed to improve adherence with the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association practice guidelines for heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to assess differences in clinician adherence with clinical practice guidelines before and after implementation of HEARTFELT. A quasi-experimental, untreated control group design with separate pretest/posttest samples was employed at a community hospital in Connecticut. The untreated historical control group included patients aged 65 years or older with HF and a nonequivalent comparison group of patients with stroke. The posttest samples included patients with the diagnosis of HF and stroke admitted after implementation of the HEARTFELT intervention. The HEARTFELT intervention included automated pathway in electronic medical record (order sets, interdisciplinary plan of care, self-management plan), access to evidence for clinicians and patients, HF self-management education tools, and ongoing discipline-specific feedback regarding adherence. Data were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric methods. The HEARTFELT intervention significantly improved clinician adherence with addressing all self-management categories in the electronic medical record (P = .000) and adherence with self-management education given to the patient in writing at discharge (P = .000). There were no significant differences in adherence with medical interventions (P = .39). While guideline adherence is associated with less practice variation and improved processes, methods of integration into practice in community hospital settings have been largely unexplored. The multifaceted HEARTFELT intervention is promising for its potential to integrate evidence at the point of care, to reduce unwarranted variation in practice, and ultimately to improve the outcomes of individuals with HF.
