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BACKGROUNDHeart failure (HF) is a major and growing medical and economic problem, with high prevalence and incidence rates worldwide. Cardiac Biomarker is emerging as a novel tool for improving management of patients with HF.METHODSThis is a real-world, before-and after-intervention trial, that assesses the impact of a personalized follow-up procedure for HF on patient’s outcomes and care associated cost, based on a clinical model of risk stratification and personalized management according to that risk. A total of 192 patients were enrolled and studied before and after an intervention. The primary objective was the rate of readmissions, due to a HF event, post-intervention compared to pre-intervention. Secondary outcomes compared the rate of ED visits and the number of patients who had reduced NYHA score pre and post-intervention. A cost- analysis was also performed on these data.RESULTSAdmission rates significantly decreased by 41% after the intervention (total length of stay was reduced by 55%). The rate of ED visits was reduced by 55%. Thirty-one percent of patients had an improved functional class score after the intervention, whereas only 7.8% got worse. The overall cost saving associated with the intervention was €139,717.65 for the whole group over 1 year.CONCLUSIONSA personalized follow-up of HF patients led to important outcome benefits and resulted in cost savings, mainly due to the reduction of patient hospitalization readmissions and a significant reduction of care- associated costs, suggesting that greater attention should be given to this high-risk cohort to minimize the risk of hospitalization readmissions. |
