Key result
Multidisciplinary HF clinics linked to minimal hospitalizations and improved EF and NT-proBNP levels.
Why the study?
Chronic heart failure carries recurrent hospitalizations and high mortality, requiring complex multidisciplinary approaches to improve patient clinical outcomes.
Does a multidisciplinary heart failure outpatient clinic program reduce hospitalizations and emergency visits in Portuguese heart failure patients?
Observational
Yes
Does a multidisciplinary heart failure outpatient clinic program reduce hospitalizations and emergency visits in Portuguese heart failure patients?
Implementation of multidisciplinary heart failure clinics in Portugal appears effective in reducing early post-discharge hospitalizations and improving clinical parameters.
May support multidisciplinary HF clinics in Portugal; hypothesis-generating pending randomized confirmation.
Chronic heart failure (HF) is the 21st-century cardiovascular epidemic, marked by recurrent hospitalizations and high mortality rates, and represents a considerable burden on Western societies. The complex care demands of HF patients require multidisciplinary approaches, aligning with contemporary guidelines. Accordingly, the Excellence in Heart Failure Program, implemented in Portuguese tertiary hospitals, aims to establish multidisciplinary HF outpatient clinics in Portugal, improving patients’ clinical outcomes. Herein, the results of its pilot project are presented, showing that the implementation of the multidisciplinary clinic resulted in a minimal number of hospitalizations and emergency visits, with only one rehospitalization reported. In addition, patients in the Program experienced significant improvements in ejection fraction (EF) and NT-proBNP levels. Despite the limited power of the sample, these findings underscore the effectiveness of the Program in the management of Portuguese HF patients, particularly in the early discharge period after heart failure, when patients are most vulnerable.
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Sousa et al. (2023) conducted an observational in Chronic heart failure. Excellence in Heart Failure Program (multidisciplinary HF outpatient clinics) was evaluated on Hospitalizations, emergency visits, ejection fraction (EF), and NT-proBNP levels. Implementation of a multidisciplinary heart failure clinic program resulted in minimal hospitalizations (only one reported) and significant improvements in ejection fraction and NT-proBNP levels.
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