title: Long-term implications of a single home-based educational intervention in patients with heart failure.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a single home-based educational intervention for patients admitted with heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 106 patients: 42 in the intervention group and 64 in the control group. Patients were randomly assigned to receive an intervention by nursing staff 1 week after discharge. Primary end points were readmissions, emergency department visits, deaths, costs, and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 24-month follow-up, there were fewer mean emergency department visits in the intervention group than in the control group (.68 vs 2.00; P = .000), fewer unplanned readmissions (.68 vs 1.71; P = .000), and lower costs (€ 671.56 = $974.63 = GBP598.42 per person vs € 2,154.24 = $3,126.01 = GBP1,919.64; P = .001). There was a trend toward fewer out-of-hospital deaths (14 [46.6%] vs 31 [55.3%]; P = .45) and improvement in quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with heart failure who receive a home-based educational intervention experience fewer emergency department visits and unplanned readmissions with lower healthcare costs.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine Service, Sagrat Cor University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ofelia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aguado
authors.forename: Cèsar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morcillo
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delàs
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rennie
authors.forename: Siraj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bechich
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schembari
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Franscesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rosell
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017046:Cost Savings; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000191:economics; D017050:Episode of Care; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000191:economics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000191:economics; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010358:Patient Participation; D011788:Quality of Life; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors