Heart failure management: multidisciplinary care has intrinsic benefit above the optimization of medical care.
OBJECTIVE
This work addresses the unanswered question of whether multidisciplinary care (MDC) of heart failure (HF) can reduce readmissions when optimal medical care is applied in both intervention and control groups.


METHODS
In a randomized, controlled study, 98 patients (mean age, 70.8 +/- 10.5 years) admitted to hospital with left ventricular failure (New York Heart Association Class IV) were assigned to routine care (RC, n = 47) or MDC (n = 51). All patients received the same components of inpatient, optimal medical care of HF: specialist-led inpatient care; titration to maximum tolerated dose of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor before discharge; attainment of predetermined discharge criteria (weight stable, off all intravenous therapy, and no change in oral regimen for 2 days). Only those in the MDC group received inpatient and outpatient education and close telephone and clinic follow-up. The primary study endpoint was rehospitalization or death for a HF-related issue at 3 months.


RESULTS
At 3 months, four people had events in the MDC group (7.8% rate over 3 months) compared with 12 people (25.5% rate over 3 months) in the RC group (P = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate for the first time the intrinsic benefit of MDC in the setting of protocol-driven, optimal medical management of HF. Moreover, the event rate of 7.8% at 3 months, as the lowest reported rate for such a high-risk group, underlines the value of this approach to the management of heart failure.
St Vincent's University Hospital Heart Failure Unit and Council on Heart Failure, Irish Heart Foundation, Dublin, Ireland.
Kenneth
K
McDonald
Mark
M
Ledwidge
John
J
Cahill
Peter
P
Quigley
Brian
B
Maurer
Bronagh
B
Travers
Mary
M
Ryder
Emma
E
Kieran
Lorna
L
Timmons
Enda
E
Ryan
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005791:Patient Care / Q000379:methods; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011788:Quality of Life