title: Randomized clinical trial of the effectiveness of a home-based intervention in patients with heart failure: the IC-DOM study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine whether a home-based intervention can reduce mortality and hospital readmissions and improve quality of life in patients with heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized clinical trial was carried out between January 2004 and October 2006. In total, 283 patients admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of heart failure were randomly allocated to a home-based intervention (intervention group) or usual care (control group). The primary end-point was the combination of all-cause mortality and hospital readmission for worsening heart failure at 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The primary end-point was observed in 41.7% of patients in the intervention group and in 54.3% in the control group. The hazard ratio was 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.99). Taking significant clinical variables into account slightly reduced the hazard ratio to 0.62 (95% CI 0.50-0.87). At the end of the study, the quality of life of patients in the intervention group was better than in the control group (18.57 vs. 31.11; P< .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A home-based intervention for patients with heart failure reduced the aggregate of mortality and hospital readmissions and improved quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación, Equipo de Atención Primaria Sardenya, Sardenya 466, Barcelona 08025, Spain. cbrotons@eapsardenya.cat
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brotons
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Falces
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alegre
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ballarín
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casanovas
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Catà
authors.forename: Mireia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moral
authors.forename: Jacint
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Eulàlia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.forename: Elisabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rayó
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Recio
authors.forename: Eulàlia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roig
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Vidal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006699:Home Care Services; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011788:Quality of Life