Heart failure is the most common discharge diagnosis for patients over 65 years of age, with yearly costs to the US healthcare system estimated at $38 billion. Data show that 25% of patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge and that 90% of readmissions are preventable. What is being done to promote better outcomes? Dr Robb Kociol puts this question to Dr Adrian Hernandez, who has been active with both the Get With The Guidelines for HF and the Hospital to Home initiatives and has published numerous articles pertaining to quality of care, heart-failure outcomes, and clinical effectiveness.

See:

Hernandez AF, Greiner MA, Fonarow GC, et al. Relationship between early physician follow-up and 30-day readmission among Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for heart failure. JAMA 2010; 303:1716-1722. Abstract.

Don't come back soon: Early follow-up after HF discharge shows early benefit

The revolving hospital door for HF and sensory-implant guides to cut hospitalization risk

Strategies to lower hospital readmission rates

Hospital-to-Home National Quality Improvement Initiative

Get-With-the-Guidelines shows quality gaps countrywide in treating heart failure