A comparison of one-year outcome in adult patients with heart failure in two medical setting: heart failure clinic and daily physician practice.
OBJECTIVE
To compare between adult patients with heart failure after hospital discharge in a heart failure clinic and daily practice in terms of survival, readmission rate, and quality of life.


METHODS
The authors followed 100 patients who received care in the heart failure clinic (n = 50) or the usual care (n = 50) for twelve months.


RESULTS
During follow-up, patients in the heart failure clinic group had fewer readmissions (12 vs. 23; p = 0.04). There were eight deaths in the control group and seven deaths in the heart failure clinic group (p = 0.45). At the end of the present study mean left ventricular ejection fraction, mean distance of 6-minute walk test, and mean quality of life scores in the treatment group improved more than in the control group (p = 0.038; 0.032; 0.048, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The heart failure clinic reduces hospital readmission and improves cardiac function and quality of life for heart failure patients.
Department of Cardiology, Chest Disease Institute, Nonthaburi, Thailand. akanok@gmail.com
Anek
A
Kanoksilp
Kriengkrai
K
Hengrussamee
Punsak
P
Wuthiwaropas
D000328:Adult; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013318:Stroke Volume; D016019:Survival Analysis; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy