title: Post-discharge heart failure monitoring program in Turkey: Hit-PoinT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and feasibility of an enhanced heart failure (HF) education with a 6-month telephone follow- up program in post-discharge ambulatory HF patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Hit-Point trial was a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of enhanced HF education with a 6-month telephone follow-up program (EHFP) vs routine care (RC) in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction. A total of 248 patients from 10 centers in various geographical areas were randomized: 125 to EHFP and 123 to RC. Education included information on adherence to treatment, symptom recognition, diet and fluid intake, weight monitoring, activity and exercise training. Patients were contacted by telephone after 1, 3, and 6 months. The primary study endpoint was cardiovascular death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although all-cause mortality didn't differ between the EHFP and RC groups (p=NS), the percentage of cardiovascular deaths in the EHFP group was significantly lower than in the RC group at the 6-month follow up (5.6% vs. 8.9%, p=0.04). The median number of emergency room visits was one and the median number of all cause hospitalizations and heart failure hospitalizations were zero. Twenty-tree percent of the EHFP group and 35% of the RC group had more than a median number of emergency room visits (p=0.05). There was no significant difference regarding the median number of all-cause or heart failure hospitalizations. At baseline, 60% of patients in EHFP and 61% in RC were in NYHA Class III or IV, while at the 6-month follow up only 12% in EHFP and 32% in RC were in NYHA Class III or IV (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate the potential clinical benefits of an enhanced HF education and follow up program led by a cardiologist in reducing cardiovascular deaths and number of emergency room visits with an improvement in functional capacity at 6 months in post-discharge ambulatory HF patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Eskişehir Osmangazi University; Eskişehir-Turkey. yukselc@ogu.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Yüksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Çavuşoğlu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University; İzmir-Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zoghi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dr Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Education and Traning Hospital; İstanbul-Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Şanlıurfa Balıklıgöl Hospital; Urfa-Turkey.
authors.forename: Evin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bozçalı
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kocaeli University; Kocaeli-Turkey.
authors.forename: Güliz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kozdağ
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Uludag University; Bursa-Turkey.
authors.forename: Tunay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Şentürk
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University; Edirne-Turkey.
authors.forename: Güray
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alicik
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University; Samsun-Turkey.
authors.forename: Korhan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soylu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University; Gaziantep-Turkey.
authors.forename: İbrahim
authors.initials: İ
authors.lastname: Sarı
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, İzmir Atatu¨rk Hospital; İzmir-Turkey.
authors.forename: Rida
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berilgen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ankara Yu¨ksek İhtisas Hospital; Ankara-Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Temizhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Eskişehir Osmangazi University; Eskişehir-Turkey.
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gencer
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Dr Siyami Ersek Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Education and Traning Hospital; İstanbul-Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Lütfü
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Orhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Şanlıurfa Balıklıgöl Hospital; Urfa-Turkey.
authors.forename: Veli
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Uludag University; Bursa-Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydın Kaderli
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University; Edirne-Turkey.
authors.forename: Meryem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aktoz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University; Samsun-Turkey.
authors.forename: Halit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zengin
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University; Gaziantep-Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ankara Yu¨ksek İhtisas Hospital; Ankara-Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet Timur
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Selçuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, İzmir Atatu¨rk Hospital; İzmir-Turkey.
authors.forename: Oktay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ergene
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; Pittsburgh, PA-USA.
authors.forename: Özlem
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Soran
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey