Access to HF self-care with education and telephone follow-up

Purposes/Aims: The purpose of this IRB approved research was to measure the effect of nurse led self-management education and telephone follow-up on of heart failure patient’s re-hospitalization rates, attendance at follow up appointments and adherence to self-care behaviors.

Rationale/Background: Heart failure affects 5.7 million people in the United States and has substantial impact on communities due to high healthcare costs and frequent rehospitalizations. An evidence-based research project reduced rehospitalization rates through standardized self-care management education and telephone follow up. Self-care management education is critical for patients diagnosed with Heart Failure. The staff nurses in the coronary care sub-acute unit at the University of New Mexico Hospitals implemented an Internal Review Board (IRB) approved study to measure the effect of self-management education and telephone follow up on the outcomes of patients admitted with heart failure.

            Methods:

Researchers conducted a randomized pilot study, from February 2013 through December 2013, measuring the outcomes of the implementation of a standardized self-management education program on patients admitted to the coronary care sub-acute unit with a diagnosis of heart failure.

Outcomes achieved/documented:

Hospitalized patients with HF who received self-management education and telephone follow-up experienced a decrease in rehospitalizations and an increase in appointment attendance.  There were two readmissions 30 days after discharge, both in the control group. The intervention cohort had higher attendance at the HF clinic after hospitalization (91%) than the control group (83%) (p-value >0.01), which lead to lower rehospitalization rates.