Pilot testing of a multicomponent home care intervention for older adults with heart failure: an academic clinical partnership

Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Case Management in Advanced Heart Failure Patients Attended in Primary Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

AIMS

Nurse-led case management (CM) may improve quality of life (QoL) for advanced heart failure (HF) patients. No systematic review (SR), however, has summarized its effectiveness/cost-effectiveness. We aimed to evaluate the effect of such programs in primary care settings in advanced HF patients. We examined and summarized evidence on QoL, mortality, hospitalization, self-care, and cost-effectiveness.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Clinical Trials, WHO, Registry of International Clinical Trials, and Central Cochrane were searched up to March 2022. The Consensus Health Economic Criteria instrument to assess risk-of-bias in economic evaluations, Cochrane risk-of-bias 2 for clinical trials, and an adaptation of Robins-I for quasi-experimental and cohort studies were employed. Results from nurse-led CM programs did not reduce mortality (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.53 to 1.15; participants = 1345; studies = 6; I² = 47%). They decreased HF hospitalizations (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.91; participants = 1989; studies = 8; I² = 0%) and all-cause ones (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.89; participants = 1012; studies = 5; I² = 36%). QoL improved in medium-term follow-up (SMD 0.18, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.32; participants = 1228; studies = 8; I² = 28%), and self-care was not statistically significant improved (SMD 0.66, 95% CI -0.84 to 2.17; participants = 450; studies = 3; I² = 97%). A wide variety of costs ranging from USD 4975 to EUR 27,538 was observed. The intervention was cost-effective at ≤EUR 60,000/QALY.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse-led CM reduces all-cause hospital admissions and HF hospitalizations but not all-cause mortality. QoL improved at medium-term follow-up. Such programs could be cost-effective in high-income countries.

Physical Activity Assessment and Promotion in Clinical Settings in the United States: A Scoping Review

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this scoping review was to systematically examine interventions that focused on physical activity assessment and promotion in clinical settings in the United States.

DATA SOURCES

A literature search was performed in 6 major databases to extract published peer-reviewed studies from 2008 to 2019.

INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Interventions with practicing health professionals in the United States who performed physical activity assessment and promotion with adult patients 18 years of age and older. Studies were excluded if they were published in non-English, observational or case study designs, or gray literature.

DATA EXTRACTION

Studies were screened and coded based on the population, intervention, comparison, outcomes and study setting for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework. Of 654 studies that were identified and screened for eligibility, 78 met eligibility criteria and were independently coded by two coders.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Data were synthesized using qualitative and descriptive methods.

RESULTS

Forty-three of the included studies were randomized controlled trials with a majority being delivered by physicians and nurses in primary care settings. Fifty-six studies reported statistically significant findings in outcome measures such as anthropometrics and chronic disease risk factors, with 17 demonstrating improvements in physical activity levels as a result of the interventions.

CONCLUSION

The assessment and promotion of physical activity in clinical settings appears to be effective but warrants continued research.

Interventions Within the Scope of Occupational Therapy to Address Preventable Adverse Events in Inpatient and Home Health Postacute Care Settings: A Systematic Review

IMPORTANCE

Practitioners need to be familiar with, and involved in, managing quality-related adverse events in postacute care.

OBJECTIVE

To determine interventions within the scope of occupational therapy that address preventable adverse events in adult postacute inpatient and home health settings.

DATA SOURCES

Articles published from January 1995 through 2019 identified through searches of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, OTseeker, and Cochrane databases. Study Selection and Data Collection: Articles were collected, evaluated, and analyzed by two independent reviewers. They were assessed and synthesized with a goal of informing clinical practice.

FINDINGS

Twenty-four articles were included in the review. Of the 10 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services preventable adverse events, 6 were addressed: diabetes management (n = 2), dysphagia (n = 5), infection control (n = 1), pressure ulcers (n = 6), falls (n = 5), and discharge management (n = 5). There was strong strength of evidence that exercise programs should, when appropriate, be implemented in both inpatient and home health settings to decrease the risk of falls. There was moderate strength of evidence that practitioners could consider implementing a facility wide evidence-based pressure ulcer program; providing multidisciplinary rehabilitation and swallow strengthening exercises for dysphagia; implementing a multidisciplinary, multicomponent falls program; and using a manualized depression intervention in home health to decrease hospital readmission.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The review highlights the importance of preventable adverse events and of occupational therapy practitioners acknowledging and managing these events to enhance health outcomes and to control health care costs. What This Article Adds: Many interventions typically performed by occupational therapy practitioners address preventable adverse events. The review highlights the importance of practitioners being aware of this category of impairment or injury.

Healthcare Providers' Perceived Communication Barriers to Offering Palliative Care to Patients With Heart Failure: An Integrative Review

CONTEXT

Heart failure is a chronic complex syndrome that is common and burdensome. International clinical practice guidelines recommend that healthcare providers communicate palliative care options with patients with heart failure.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to conduct an integrative review to evaluate how healthcare providers perceived communication barriers to offering information to individuals in the palliative phase of heart failure.

METHODS

Four databases and the gray literature were searched from January 1987 to February 2017. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Studies were graded for strength and quality using a critical appraisal tool, and key themes were extracted and synthesized.

RESULTS

Ten articles met the full inclusion criteria. Most studies were qualitative or nonexperimental studies of good quality. Authors of several studies found that healthcare providers lacked basic knowledge about palliative care or did not possess sufficient knowledge to effectively provide care. Poor knowledge of palliative care created a barrier between the provider and the patient. Inadequate education or inexperience in palliative care led to the resistance of health providers to implementing a palliative approach.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this review emphasize a lack of knowledge as a barrier to delivering palliative care. Healthcare providers caring for individuals with heart failure need palliative care knowledge, skills, and competencies to ensure that this vulnerable population receives holistic patient-centered care.

The role of community-based nursing interventions in improving outcomes for individuals with cardiovascular disease: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To examine the role of community-based nursing interventions in improving outcomes for community-dwelling individuals with cardiovascular disease.

DESIGN

A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

DATA SOURCES

Seven electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Global Health, LILACS, Africa-Wide Information, IMEMR and WPRIM) were searched from inception to 16 March 2018 without language restrictions.

REVIEW METHODS

We included studies evaluating the outcomes of interventions led by, or primarily delivered by, nurses for individuals with cardiovascular disease in community settings. Study selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessments were performed by at least two independent reviewers.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Community-based nursing interventions improved outcomes in four key areas: (1) self-care, (2) health, (3) healthcare utilisation, and (4) quality of care. Significant improvements were reported in patients' knowledge and ability to self-manage, severity of disease, functional status, quality of life, risk of death, hospital readmission days, emergency department visits, healthcare costs and satisfaction with care. Facilitators to intervention effectiveness included the use of an individualised approach, multidisciplinary approach, specially trained nurses, family involvement and the home setting. Conversely, barriers to intervention success included limitations in nurses' time and skills, ineffective interdisciplinary collaboration and insufficient intervention intensity.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall evidence is positive regarding the role of community-based nursing interventions in improving outcomes for individuals with cardiovascular disease. However, this review highlights the need for more robust research establishing definitive relationships between different types of interventions and outcomes as well as evaluating the cost-effectiveness of these interventions to aid the development of sustainable policy solutions.

A comparison of patients' and dietitians' perceptions of patient-centred care: A cross-sectional survey

AIM

The aim of this study was to compare patients' and dietitians' perceptions of patient-centred care (PCC) in dietetic practice.

METHODS

Participants were as follows: (a) adult patients who had attended ≥1 individual dietetic consultation with an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) working in primary care; and (b) APDs with experience working in primary care. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken using a patient- and dietitian-reported inventory to measure PCC in dietetic practice. The inventory comprised of five previously validated scales: The Communication Assessment Tool; the 9-item Shared Decision-Making Questionnaire; the Patient-Doctor Depth of Relationship Scale; the Schmidt Perception of Nursing Care Scale-Seeing the Individual Patient sub-scale; and the Person-Centred Practice Inventory-Staff -Providing Holistic Care sub-scale. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse participant characteristics and to compute total scores for the five scales. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare median scores between patients and dietitians.

RESULTS

One-hundred and thirty-three patients and 180 dietitians completed the survey. Patients reported significantly higher scores compared to dietitians for "shared decision-making" (P = 0.004), but significantly lower scores for "providing holistic and individualized care" (P = 0.005), "knowing the patient/dietitian" (P = 0.001) and "caring patient-dietitian relationships" (P =0.009).

CONCLUSION

This study highlighted potentially important differences between patients' and dietitians' perceptions of PCC and identified key aspects of dietetic care requiring practice improvements. Strategies are needed to bridge gaps between dietitians' and patients' perceptions and enhance PCC in dietetic practice. These findings suggest that dietitians should focus on individualizing nutrition care, gaining a holistic understanding of their patients and knowing/understanding each patient.

Strategies to Modify the Risk of Heart Failure Readmission: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background:

Human factors play an important role in health-care outcomes of heart failure (HF) patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trial studies on HF hospitalization may yield positive proofs of the beneficial effect of specific care management strategies.

Purpose:

To investigate how the 8 guiding principles of choice, rest, environment, activity, trust, interpersonal relationships, outlook, and nutrition reduce HF readmissions.

Basic Procedures:

Appropriate keywords were identified related to the (1) independent variable of hospitalization and treatment, (2) the moderating variable of care management principles, (3) the dependent variable of readmission, and (4) the disease of HF to conduct searches in 9 databases. Databases searched included CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ERIC, MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycInfo, Science Direct, and Web of Science. Only prospective studies associated with HF hospitalization and readmissions, published in English, Chinese, Spanish, and German journals between January 1, 1990, and August 31, 2015, were included in the systematic review. In the meta-analysis, data were collected from studies that measured HF readmission for individual patients.

Main Findings:

The results indicate that an intervention involving any human factor principles may nearly double an individual’s probability of not being readmitted. Participants in interventions that incorporated single or combined principles were 1.4 to 6.8 times less likely to be readmitted.

Principal Conclusions:

Interventions with human factor principles reduce readmissions among HF patients. Overall, this review may help reconfigure the design, implementation, and evaluation of clinical practice for reducing HF readmissions in the future.

Risk Factors for All-Cause Rehospitalization Among Medicare Recipients with Heart Failure Receiving Telehomecare

OBJECTIVE

To identify potential risk factors associated with rehospitalization among Medicare recipients with heart failure (HF) receiving telehomecare.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study is a nonexperimental, cross-sectional secondary data analysis of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) mandated assessment called the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS)-C, provided by a large home care company. A total of 526 patients who received telehomecare from January 1, 2011 to August 31, 2013 were included in the analyses, which used multiple logistic regression.

RESULTS

The overall rate of rehospitalization was 36% while patients were receiving telehomecare. Moderately frail health status (p = 0.01), the presence of severe pain (p = 0.01), the presence of dermatologic problems (p = 0.03), and independence in dressing one's lower body (compared to slightly dependent [p = 0.01] or mostly dependent patient groups [p = 0.02]) were identified as risk factors for rehospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk factors identified from this study may be used to drive more effective telehomecare placements, and referrals for additional services among telehomecare patients with HF.

The gap between policy and practice: a systematic review of patient-centred care interventions in chronic heart failure

Patient-centred care (PCC) is recommended in policy documents for chronic heart failure (CHF) service provision, yet it lacks an agreed definition. A systematic review was conducted to identify PCC interventions in CHF and to describe the PCC domains and outcomes. Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ASSIA, the Cochrane database, clinicaltrials.gov, key journals and citations were searched for original studies on patients with CHF staged II–IV using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. Included interventions actively supported patients to play informed, active roles in decision-making about their goals of care. Search terms included ‘patient-centred care’, ‘quality of life’ and ‘shared decision making’. Of 13,944 screened citations, 15 articles regarding 10 studies were included involving 2540 CHF patients. Three studies were randomised controlled trials, and seven were non-randomised studies. PCC interventions focused on collaborative goal setting between patients and healthcare professionals regarding immediate clinical choices and future care. Core domains included healthcare professional-patient collaboration, identification of patient preferences, patient-identified goals and patient motivation. While the strength of evidence is poor, PCC has been shown to reduce symptom burden, improve health-related quality of life, reduce readmission rates and enhance patient engagement for patients with CHF. There is a small but growing body of evidence, which demonstrates the benefits of a PCC approach to care for CHF patients. Research is needed to identify the key components of effective PCC interventions before being able to deliver on policy recommendations.

Technology-assisted congestive heart failure care

The interface between eHealth technologies and disease management in chronic conditions such as chronic heart failure (CHF) has advanced beyond the research domain. The substantial morbidity, mortality, health resource utilization and costs imposed by chronic disease, accompanied by increasing prevalence, complex comorbidities and changing client and health staff demographics, have pushed the boundaries of eHealth to alleviate costs whilst maintaining services. Whilst the intentions are laudable and the technology is appealing, this nonetheless requires careful scrutiny. This review aims to describe this technology and explore the current evidence and measures to enhance its implementation.

Home telehealth uptake and continued use among heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: a systematic review

Background

Home telehealth has the potential to benefit heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, however large-scale deployment is yet to be achieved.

Purpose

The aim of this review was to assess levels of uptake of home telehealth by patients with HF and COPD and the factors that determine whether patients do or do not accept and continue to use telehealth.

Methods

This research performs a narrative synthesis of the results from included studies.

Results

Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies that reported rates of refusal and/or withdrawal found that almost one third of patients who were offered telehealth refused and one fifth of participants who did accept later abandoned telehealth. Seven barriers to, and nine facilitators of, home telehealth use were identified.

Conclusions

Research reports need to provide more details regarding telehealth refusal and abandonment, in order to understand the reasons why patients decide not to use telehealth.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12160-014-9607-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Adesão ao tratamento de pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca em acompanhamento domiciliar por enfermeiros

Objetivo Verificar a adesão ao tratamento de pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca em acompanhamento domiciliar por enfermeiras após alta hospitalar. Método Estudo tipo antes-depois realizado com pacientes recentemente internados por insuficiência cardíaca descompensada. Três visitas domiciliares foram realizadas após alta em um intervalo de 45 dias. Avaliou-se a adesão na primeira e terceira visitas através de um questionário validado (10 questões, ponto de corte 18 pontos=70%=adesão satisfatória). Durante a primeira e segunda visitas, os pacientes receberam educação quanto à doença, adesão e autocuidado. Resultados Foram incluídos 32 pacientes, idade média 65±16 anos, 18(58%) masculinos. Os 32 pacientes receberam um total de 96 visitas domiciliares. Os escores de adesão foram 16±2.6 vs 20.4±2.7 na primeira e terceira visitas, respectivamente (p=0,001). Questões como peso e restrição hídrica aumentaram significativamente após a intervenção. Conclusão A intervenção de educação no domicílio melhorou significativamente a adesão ao tratamento de pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca e internação recente.

Home Health Care Nurses’ Perceptions of Heart Failure Home Health Care

High-quality nursing care in the home setting is one approach to improving outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). This study describes home health care nursing care of patients with HF from the perspectives of home health care nurses (HHNs). Using an emergent, qualitative design, 14 HHNs were interviewed and six major themes emerged: (1) HF care is unique, (2) HF patients’ needs exceed imposed limitations, (3) listening to HF patients is key, (4) HF education is critical, (5) eyes and ears of physicians, and (6) high reward/high commitment. Overall, HHNs felt that patients with HF have nursing care needs that exceed imposed limitations on HHN services. HHNs need time to educate patients and family caregivers about HF.

Pilot Testing of the Home Care Education, Assessment, Remote-Monitoring, and Therapeutic Activities Intervention

The primary aim of this pilot study was to develop, implement, and test the feasibility and efficacy of the Home Care Education, Assessment, Remote-Monitoring, and Therapeutic Activities (HEART) trial, a nurse-directed multicomponent home care intervention. A total of 50 patients with a primary diagnosis of heart failure (HF) were assigned to the intervention ( n = 26) or control group ( n = 24) according to geographical location in a large multibranch Medicare-certified home health agency. Forty-six patients completed the study. Patients participating in the HEART intervention demonstrated significantly improved HF knowledge ( F = 1.31, p < .001) in comparison with control group patients’ at the study endpoint. There was a non-significant trend toward improved quality of life (QOL) and lower hospital readmission rates (6 patients vs. 9 patients) in the intervention group.

Implementing guideline based heart failure care in the Northern Territory: challenges and solutions

The Northern Territory of Australia is a vast area serviced by two major tertiary hospitals. It has both a unique demography and geography, which pose challenges for delivering optimal heart failure services. The prevalence of congestive heart failure continues to increase, imposing a significant burden on health infrastructure and health care costs. Specific patient groups suffer disproportionately from increased disease severity or service related issues often represented as a "health care gap". The syndrome itself is characterised by ongoing symptoms interspersed with acute decompensation requiring lifelong therapy and is rarely reversible. For the individual client the overwhelming attention to heart failure care and the impact of health care gaps can be devastating. This gap may also contribute to widening socio-economic differentials for families and communities as they seek to take on some of the care responsibilities. This review explores the challenges of heart failure best practice in the Northern Territory and the opportunities to improve on service delivery. The discussions highlighted could have implications for health service delivery throughout regional centres in Australia and health systems in other countries.

Economics of psychosocial factors in patients with cardiovascular disease

Growing evidence supports a causal relationship between cardiovascular disease and psychosocial factors such as mental health and behavioral disorders, acute and chronic stress, and low socioeconomic status. While this has enriched our understanding of the interaction between cardiovascular risk factors, much less is known about its economic implications. In this review, we evaluate the economic impact of psychosocial factors in persons at risk for or diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Most studies have focused on depression and almost uniformly conclude that patients with cardiovascular disease and comorbid depression use a greater number of ambulatory and hospital services and incur higher overall costs. Additionally, comorbid depression may also reduce employment productivity in patients with cardiovascular disease, further magnifying its economic impact. Recent randomized trials have demonstrated that innovative care delivery models that target depression may reduce costs or at least be cost neutral while improving quality of life. The growing population burden and overlap of cardiovascular disease, comorbid mental illness, and other psychosocial factors suggest that future research identifying cost-effective or cost-saving treatment models may have significant health and economic implications.

A Randomized Trial of Telemonitoring and Self-Care Education in Heart Failure Patients Following Home Care Discharge

Patients with heart failure (HF) who have been discharged from a home care agency are a particularly vulnerable group at risk for poor outcomes and high rehositalization rates. The primary aim of this experimental study was to determine the efficacy of a telemonitoring and self-care education intervention in reducing hospitalization and improving quality of life and patient’s knowledge of HF after home care discharge. Ninety-three participants completed the study. The primary outcome of 90-day post–home care discharge hospitalization was significantly reduced in the intervention group compared to controls (9 vs. 18, p - .046). HF knowledge ( p = .013) and QOL ( p = .004) were significantly increased in intervention group patients in comparison to control group patients’ at the study endpoint.