Thinking Outside the Box: Treating Acute Heart Failure Outside the Hospital to Improve Care and Reduce Admissions

J Card Fail. 2015 Aug;21(8):667-73. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2015.05.009. Epub 2015 May 22.

Abstract

The management of acute heart failure is shifting toward treatment approaches outside of a traditional hospital setting. Many heart failure providers are now treating patients in less familiar health care settings, such as acute care clinics, emergency departments, and skilled nursing facilities. In this review we describe the current pressures driving change in the delivery of acute heart failure and summarize the evidence regarding treatments for acute heart failure outside of the inpatient setting. We also provide considerations for the design of future treatment strategies to be implemented in alternative care settings.

Keywords: Acute heart failure; outcomes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Delivery of Health Care / methods*
  • Disease Management
  • Heart Failure / therapy*
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data*
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Patient Readmission / statistics & numerical data*