title: How patients with heart failure are managed in Portugal.
abstract: The prevalence of heart failure is increasing all over the world. It is a common and growing public health problem in Portugal as in many other European countries. This article provides a review of health service organization and current heart failure management in Portugal, discusses primary care and ward practices in different hospitals and reports on the use of proven standard therapies for the treatment of heart failure in the community. Despite major advances in diagnosis and treatment, heart failure is only satisfactorily managed. Furthermore efforts are necessary before the beneficial effects observed in trials have a real impact in clinical practice. A broader view and priority for the management of this syndrome on a national level are needed to improve the quality of heart failure care in Portugal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de S. Francisco Xavier, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Cândida
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ceia
authors.forename: Dulce
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Madeira
mesh_terms: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D009313:National Health Programs; D010343:Patient Admission; D011174:Portugal; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents