The role of hospitalists in the management of acute decompensated heart failure.
Heart failure and episodes of acute decompensated heart failure have an important effect on the US health care system, especially the elderly Medicare population. Efforts to improve the quality of care for patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure have focused on creating standardized treatment guidelines based on substantial clinical evidence, but inadequate implementation of these guidelines continues to result in excess morbidity and mortality from heart failure. Hospitalists specializing in inpatient treatment strategies may play an important role in implementing clinical guidelines because their main commitment is to overall clinical treatment of inpatients. This review focuses on current recommended guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of patients with acute decompensated heart failure and the hospitalist's role in providing the oversight needed to adhere to these guidelines and manage this complex disease state.
Amin
Alpesh N
AN
Department of Medicine, Hospitalist Program, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA, USA. anamin@uci.edu
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002303:Cardiac Output, Low; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D020445:Hospitalists; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010359:Patient Readmission; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic