Assessment Of Educational Strategies In Heart Failure Patients Presenting To The Emergency Department For Care

In 2015, 12.8% of adults ages 19-64 in the United States lacked any form of health insurance. An even greater number fell under the umbrella of under-insured. Studies indicate that the un- and under-insured receive less preventive care, are diagnosed at more advanced disease stages, and have higher mortality rates than their insured counterparts, due to the lack of accessible primary care services. These issues are most readily evident in patients with chronic conditions. When a preventable, chronic condition worsens, these patients have no choice but to visit the ED to address their most immediate health concerns, leaving the underlying chronic problem untreated. HF is a particularly burdensome chronic problem for patients of all socioeconomic statuses and one of the leading causes of ED and hospital readmissions.

Numerous educational efforts have been tested in an attempt to reduce HF readmissions but have met with mixed results. Consequently, HF patients are generally seen as refractory to educational and management strategies. The investigators propose here a new, targeted educational intervention designed to improve patient outcomes and readmission rates in un- and underinsured HF patients.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with a pre-existing documented diagnosis of HF presenting to the ED

Exclusion criteria

• 1) Patients in unstable condition requiring immediate medical attention, 2) hemodynamically unstable, 3) age < 18 years, and/or 4) incarcerated.