title: Multidisciplinary management of heart failure just beginning in Japan.
abstract: The mortality associated with end-stage heart failure (HF) is high despite the development of new and increasingly effective drugs and non-pharmacological therapies. Repetitive hospitalizations predict fatal outcomes and each hospitalization should prompt individual conversations with the patient, the family, and the caregivers. A multidisciplinary disease management program promotes the education of patients and their families and modifies their behavior, with a view to ultimately improve the prognosis and quality of life. From the early to the late stages of HF, a multidisciplinary disease management program should be implemented. In Western societies this multidisciplinary management has long been debated and endorsed, in contrast to Japan, where it has just begun. In 2012, the Japanese Nursing Association launched a certification in chronic HF nursing. A Japanese version of HF disease management should soon be developed in its own social environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Hospital, Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan. Electronic address: yukihito.sato@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yukihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology; D019468:Disease Management; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D059408:Pain Management; D010166:Palliative Care; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D016414:Resuscitation Orders; D012646:Self Administration
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents
keywords: Cardiac cachexia; Heart failure; Heart failure management; Palliative care