Strategies designed to help heart failure patients transitioning from the hospital to their home or other setting can reduce hospital readmission rates and associated costs, according to a study published in the Cardiology Research Journal. Conducted by the Heart Failure Readmission Program at the University of California, San Francisco, the study measured the effectiveness of the program’s TEACH-HF intervention, which includes teaching and education, prompt follow-up appointments, consultation for support services and home follow-up phone calls.
Roughly 500 patients were treated with TEACH-HF and tracked from January 2010 to January 2012. Results were compared to an uncontrolled group of comparable size from January 2007 to January 2008. Patients not treated with TEACH-HF were 1.5 times more likely to be re-hospitalized, compared to patients in the controlled group. Thirty-day readmissions rates for patients treated with TEACH-HF dropped to 12% compared to 19% in the uncontrolled group. Overall results showed a savings of 641 bed days and the potential for $640,000 in associated costs.
The study was partially funded by the Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative. Read the full study here.
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