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VA RESEARCH ON CARE OF CHRONIC HEART FAILURE
PATIENTS -- Teamwork with patient and
healthcare
providers improves quality of care.
Story here...
http://www.eurekalert.org/
pub_releases/2007-02/iu-gtt020207.php
Story below:
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Go team -- 2 kinds of teamwork improves care
for chronic heart failure
INDIANAPOLIS -- Active patient involvement during treatment of chronic
heart failure, coupled with partnership with healthcare team members to
provide care consistent with evidence-based guidelines, dramatically
improves quality of care for chronic heart failure patients.
The study by researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine,
the Regenstrief Institute, Inc. and the Richard Roudebush VA Medical
Center in Indianapolis, published in the January 2007 issue of the
journal Medical Care, reported on chronic heart failure patients in 143
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers nationwide.
Chronic heart failure is a serious condition caused by structural or
functional cardiac problems impairing the ability of the heart to pump
blood. Risk factors for chronic heart failure include previous heart
attack, high blood pressure or diabetes.
"We found hospitals providing complex care like the care needed for
chronic heart failure perform significantly better when members of the
patient's health-care team collectively work together to follow
processes and procedures incorporated in national guidelines. Facilities
with providers receptive to the guidelines, which have
guideline-specific task forces to support implementation and a
well-planned implementation process were those who gave the highest
quality of care for patients with chronic heart failure," said the
study's senior author, Bradley Doebbeling, M.D., M.S., professor of
health services research and medicine at the IU School of Medicine and
program director for health services research at the Regenstrief
Institute.
"The patient is a crucial team member as well. Without patient
involvement, significant goals like dietary change or adherence to
medicine regimens cannot be met," he said.
Lifestyle changes, such as exercising, reducing salt intake, managing
stress, and especially losing weight are closely associated with longer
chronic heart failure patient survival.
"Interdisciplinary teamwork, physician and other provider engagement,
and coordination of care, combined with the involvement of patients and
the VA's integrated health care delivery system, promotes very high
levels of quality and safety. Other hospital systems can learn from
these effective provider - patient partnerships," said Dr. Doebbeling,
who directs the Center of Excellence in Implementing Evidence Based
Practice at the Roudebush VA Hospital and the IU Center for Health
Services & Outcomes Research.
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Co-authors of the study, which was funded by the Department of Veterans
Affairs, Health Services & Outcomes Research program, are Usha
Subramanian, M.D., Jason Sutherland, Ph.D., Kimberly D. McCoy, M.S.,
Karl F. Welke, M.D. and Thomas E. Vaughn, Ph.D.
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Larry Scott --
