Disease management programs improve long-ter...( More than 30 percent of patients who s...),Health

More than 30 percent of patients who suffer heart failure die within one year, but education and support programs have been shown to improve that statistic. According to two studies presented today at the American College of Cardiologys 56th Annual Scientific Session, education and support programs designed to care for high-risk cardiac patients with more direct interaction and guidance were successful in both reducing hospital visits and increasing heart failure patients' chances of long-term survival. ACC.07 is the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, bringing together cardiologists and cardiovascular specialists to further breakthroughs in cardiovascular medicine.

A Long-term Prospective Randomized Control Study Using Repetitive Education at 6 Month Intervals and Monitoring for Heart Failure Outpatients - The REMADHE Study (Presentation Number: 415-9)

Disease management programs (DMP) have become an increasingly prevalent approach to caring for patients with cardiovascular disease, and many have proven to be successful at reducing hospital admissions and emergency room visits. The REMADHE study conducted by investigators from the University of Sao Paulo Medical School in Brazil assessed whether a nurse-based disease management program could improve the long-term outcome of low-risk heart failure outpatients already under the care of a cardiologist. For the first time, the REMADHE study introduced the concept of repetitive education and monitoring into the management of heart failure.

In this randomized trial conducted between October 5, 1999 and January 18, 2005, researchers compared the long-term outcomes of patients who received standard medical care (n=113) to those also engaged in a nurse-based disease management program, consisting of six-month repetitive education and telephone monitoring (n=237). The primary endpoints were death or hospitalization and improvement in quality of life, and secondary endpoints
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Contact: Leslie Humbel
lhumbel@spectrumscience.com
504-613-2418
American College of Cardiology
27-Mar-2007