title: [Chronic heart failure requires a multidisciplinary treatment concept].
abstract: In the industrialized world, the incidence and prevalence of heart failure are dramatically rising. Characterized by a high mortality and morbidity, 1-2% of Switzerland's total health care expenditure is spent on this disease. Since the hospital admission rate of heart failure patients is extremely high, 70% of the costs result from hospitalizations. New therapeutic measures are urgently needed to reduce morbidity and therefore, hospital admission rate. Both, morbidity and hospitalization rate have been demonstrated to be reduced by multidisciplinary disease management programs. Such programs seem to be practical, efficient, and financially feasible and thus, should be evaluated in Switzerland.
authors.affiliation: Schweizer Herz- und Gefässzentrum, Kardiologie, Universitätsklinik, Inselspital Bern. katharina.meyer@insel.ch
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Suter
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics; D013557:Switzerland