The Heart Failure Clinic: Improving 30-Day All-Cause Hospital Readmissions

J Healthc Qual. 2020 Jul/Aug;42(4):215-223. doi: 10.1097/JHQ.0000000000000221.

Abstract

Heart failure-related recurrent hospitalizations are widely recognized as a source of burden to both patients and the health system. Hospital discharges represent a transition of care and can often become a catalyst for readmission. One strategy in reducing this burden is the implementation of dedicated heart failure clinics. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients discharged from an inner city safety-net public hospital with a discharge diagnosis of heart failure. Patients followed in the Heart Clinic (HC) were compared to those with standard follow-up. All included cases were followed for 30 days after discharge to determine whether an all-cause readmission occurred. There were 258 patient discharges with an overall sicker population in the HC cohort. The HC group had a better event-free survival with a 67.1% reduction in readmission (log rank *p < .05). In concluding, a dedicated heart failure clinic reduced 30-day readmissions for patients who were discharged after having an acute exacerbation of heart failure.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Ambulatory Care Facilities / standards*
  • Ambulatory Care Facilities / statistics & numerical data
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Heart Failure / therapy*
  • Hospitals, Public / standards*
  • Hospitals, Public / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • New York City
  • Patient Discharge / standards*
  • Patient Discharge / statistics & numerical data*
  • Patient Readmission / standards*
  • Patient Readmission / statistics & numerical data*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  • Retrospective Studies