title: Palliative care in heart failure: a position statement from the palliative care workshop of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.
abstract: Heart failure is a serious condition and equivalent to malignant disease in terms of symptom burden and mortality. At this moment only a comparatively small number of heart failure patients receive specialist palliative care. Heart failure patients may have generic palliative care needs, such as refractory multifaceted symptoms, communication and decision making issues and the requirement for family support. The Advanced Heart Failure Study Group of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology organized a workshop to address the issue of palliative care in heart failure to increase awareness of the need for palliative care. Additional objectives included improving the accessibility and quality of palliative care for heart failure patients and promoting the development of heart failure-orientated palliative care services across Europe. This document represents a synthesis of the presentations and discussion during the workshop and describes recommendations in the area of delivery of quality care to patients and families, education, treatment coordination, research and policy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. t.jaarsma@thorax.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Tiny
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jaarsma
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Beattie
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ryder
authors.forename: Frans H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Rutten
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McDonagh
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mohacsi
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grodzicki
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bergh
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Metra
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ekman
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Angermann
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leventhal
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pitsis
authors.forename: Stefan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Anker
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gavazzi
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ponikowski
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dickstein
authors.forename: Etienne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Delacretaz
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blue
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Strasser
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McMurray
mesh_terms: D002309:Cardiology / Q000193:education*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012955:Societies, Medical