Multidisciplinary Education Approach Compared to the Use of Standard Heart Failure Education

PICO (T) Question

In congestive heart failure patients (P), what effects does a multidisciplinary education approach (I) compared to the use of standard heart failure education (C) have on the rates of hospital readmissions (O) during the first 6 months of discharge?

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Problem Identification

What is wrong with the current situation involving the use of a standard education approach is that it increases hospital readmissions and length of hospital stay among heart failure patients. The current practice also contributes to various problems associated with congestive heart failure readmissions, such as penalties for hospitals, mortality, morbidity, and additional costs of care. According to Riley and Masters (2016), a multidisciplinary approach consisting of long-term follow-up and monitoring, outreach and in-reach approaches led by nurses, and patient education is needed to improve outcomes for HF patient.

Background

The nature of the problem of heart failure is that it mainly affects the socio-economically disadvantaged groups in the society and those who are less informed about it. The context of the situation which is least understood is the fact that heart failure is a common health problem in the health care system responsible for the deaths of many people every year. According to an RCT study by Duchame, Doyon, White, Rouleau, and Brophy (2005), a multidisciplinary care for heart failure patients improves quality of life and reduces the number of hospital days and readmissions.

The scope of the Problem

The problem of congestive heart failure is a common healthcare burden which leads to hospitalization and readmission of patients, increased costs of care, prolonged lengths of hospital stay, and mortality. According to Riley and Masters (2016), millions of people globally are affected by heart failure. In the United States, approximately five million individuals have been diagnosed with the congestive heart failure (Dastoom, Elahi, Baraz, & Latifi, 2016).

Consequences of the Problem

There are various costs associated with a failure to fix this problem. The first consequence is that there will be an increase in the monetary costs of caring for heart failure patients due to lengthy hospitalization. This cost will be born by the health care system, patients and their families, healthcare facilities, and communities. Furthermore, there will be social costs in the form of increased morbidity and mortalities.

Knowledge Gaps

As Dastoom et al. (2016) have observed, even though there exist published guidelines that stress on the value of education in the prevention of readmissions for heart failure, what still lacks are effective means through which patients with heart failure can be educated on self-care. There also exist knowledge gaps regarding how a multidisciplinary patient education program can be effectively tailored to suit the needs of patients from diverse social and cultural backgrounds.

References

Dastoom, M., Elahi, N., Baraz, S., & Latif, S.M. (2016). The effects of group education with the teach-back method on hospital readmission rates of heart patients. Jundishapur Journal of Chronic Disease Care, 5(1), 24-29

Ducharme, A., Doyon, O., White, M., Rouleau, J.L., Brophy, J.M. (2005). Impact of care at a multidisciplinary congestive heart failure clinic: A randomized trial. CMAJ, 173 (1), 40-45

Riley J.P., & Masters, J. (2016). Practical multidisciplinary approaches to heart failure management for an improved patient outcome. European Heart Journal Supplements, 18, 43-52