November 4, 1997Circulation
Effect of a Heart Failure Program on Hospitalization Frequency and Exercise Tolerance
Why the study?
Does management by heart failure specialists in a dedicated program reduce hospitalizations and improve exercise capacity in patients with heart failure compared to prior management?
Population
187 patients with heart failure referred to the Vanderbilt Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation Program.
Comparison
Management by physicians with special expertise… vs Prior management by physicians with limited…
Design
Cohort
Follow-up
1 year
Authors
Discussion
Loading...
Member takes
Implication
Supports HF specialist programs to reduce hospitalizations and improve capacity; hypothesis-generating pending RCTs.
Structured PICO
Does management by heart failure specialists in a dedicated program reduce hospitalizations and improve exercise capacity in patients with heart failure compared to prior management?
P
Population
187 patients with heart failure referred to the Vanderbilt Heart Failure and Heart Transplantation Program (134 followed for >30 days).
I
Intervention
Management by physicians with special expertise in heart failure working in a dedicated heart failure program.
C
Comparator
Prior management by physicians with limited expertise in heart failure (historical self-control during the year before referral).
O
Outcome
Annual hospitalization rates and peak exercise capacity.hard clinical
Management of heart failure patients by specialists in a dedicated program significantly reduces hospitalizations and improves functional capacity compared to standard care.
Cite This Study
Hanumanthu et al. (1997) studied this question.