title: A Strategy to Reduce Heart Failure Readmissions and Inpatient Costs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a disease management intervention on rehospitalization rates in hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients treated with the TEACH-HF intervention that included Teaching and Education, prompt follow-up Appointments, Consultation for support services, and Home follow-up phone calls (TEACH-HF) from January 2010 to January 2012 constituted the intervention group (n = 548). Patients treated from January 2007 to January 2008 constituted the usual care group (n = 485).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group baseline characteristics were similar with 30-day readmission rates significantly different (19% usual care vs. 12% for the intervention respectively (P = 0.003)). Patients in the usual care group were 1.5 times more likely to be hospitalized (95% CI: 1.2 - 1.9; P = 0.001) compared to the intervention group. A savings of 641 bed days with potential revenue of $640,000 occurred after TEACH-HF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TEACH-HF intervention was associated with significantly fewer hospital readmissions and savings in bed days.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Howie-Esquivel
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brinker
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pantilat
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rago
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: De Marco
keywords: Disease management; Heart failure; Readmission