[Heart failure units in Spain: state of the art]

Heart failure is a huge public health problem. Heart failure units provide better care for patients with this condition. The establishment of such units in hospitals varies greatly between countries. To date, no specific data are available on the current situation with these units in Spain. A short questionnaire was used to evaluate the present-day implementation and characteristics of heart failure units in Spanish hospitals. Of the 110 hospitals surveyed, 45 (41%) had a heart failure unit. The percentage varied significantly with the technological sophistication of the hospital: level 1 (lowest) 8%, level 2 38%, and level 3 (highest) 76%. Some 91% of units were run by cardiology departments. In 78% of the units surveyed, nurses were involved in patient care, though only on a part-time basis in the majority (63%). Their task was primarily patient education, although, in 34%, they only performed basic support tasks (i.e., ECG and monitoring vital signs).