title: Pathways in heart failure disease management across socioeconomic spectra.
abstract: Caring for heart failure patients with a low socioeconomic status presents a unique set of challenges for health care providers. Heart failure disease management programs can integrate the use of teaching DVDs to overcome deficiencies in health literacy and take advantage of the Wal-Mart/Target $4 dollar medication program to provide life-saving medical therapy. In addition, open discussions with the patient and family regarding the costs of medications and the reality of what they can afford to pay monthly on a long term basis can guide the physician to prescribing medications by prioritizing use with a focus on evidence-based data for the medications with the highest mortality reduction. Finally, connecting inpatient visits to outpatient visits through the use of electronic medical records systems can facilitate avoidance of unnecessary repeat lab and diagnostic testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, USA. khebert@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hebert
authors.forename: Ilia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gogichaishvili
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gopie
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arcement
mesh_terms: D019468:Disease Management; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054539:Medication Therapy Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011203:Poverty; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods; D013663:Teaching; D014742:Videodisc Recording