Inpatient Heart Failure Specialty Units

Congestive heart failure is a major public health challenge and a leading cause of hospitalization in the United States. Despite major recent advances in the treatment of this condition, morbidity and mortality rates remain unacceptably high, and readmission rates can approach 50% at 6 months. Rehospitalization rates associated with this condition pose a significant economic burden on the health care budget. The main purpose of this article is to address how utilization of multidisciplinary heart failure units for the treatment of acute heart failure can lead to optimization of health care delivery for this condition, improved clinical outcomes, decreased rehospitalization rates, and reduced health care costs. We will explore the societal impact of heart failure and economic burden of this condition, with special focus on the impact of acutely hospitalized heart failure patients. Shortcomings and windfalls in the delivery of health care for this condition will be addressed. The multiple components of care essential to successful treatment of heart failure will be discussed. The article will then discuss how development of a formal multidisciplinary inpatient heart failure disease management program will consolidate and centralize all these various components and provide for optimal delivery of health care for this condition.