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Published on: June 10, 2025
Factors related to time to admission to specialized multidisciplinary clinics in patients with congestive heart
Debbie Ehrmann Feldman1, Anique Ducharme, Marc Frenette
1University of Montreal, School of Rehabilitation, Montreal, Canada. debbie.feldman@umontreal.ca
Insights
Specialized congestive heart failure (CHF) clinics improve outcomes, but timely patient admission is key. Factors like specialist referral and higher income correlate with earlier admission to CHF clinics.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a significant cause of hospitalizations with a poor prognosis.
- Specialized multidisciplinary clinics demonstrate effectiveness in managing CHF patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the timing of patient admissions to specialized CHF clinics.
- To identify factors influencing the timeliness of these admissions.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 531 patients newly admitted to six CHF multidisciplinary clinics in Quebec.
- Data collection utilized clinic databases and patient questionnaires.
Main Results:
- The median disease duration before clinic admission was 1.2 years.
- Specialist referral, higher income, emergency room visits for CHF, and lack of regular follow-up were linked to shorter disease duration at admission.
Conclusions:
- Improved dissemination of information about CHF clinic availability, benefits, and referral criteria may be necessary.
- Strategies to encourage earlier referral and admission to specialized CHF care are warranted.
Background:
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a common cause of hospitalization and has a poor prognosis. Specialized multidisciplinary clinics are effective in the management of CHF.
Objectives:
To measure time of admission to the specialized clinics and explore factors related to the time of admission to these clinics.
Methods:
Patients who were newly admitted to one of six CHF multidisciplinary clinics in the province of Quebec were enrolled in the study. Data were collected from the common clinical database used at these clinics as well as from questionnaires administered to the patients.
Results:
A total of 531 patients with a mean age of 65.9 years were enrolled. Only 26% were women. The median duration of disease before admission to the CHF clinic was 1.2 years. The majority of patients (62%) were referred by a cardiologist or an internist, while 24% were referred by other specialists, and 14% by general practitioners. One-fifth of patients did not have regular follow-up for their CHF before being admitted to the clinic. Factors associated with shorter disease duration at admission to the clinic were referral by a specialist, not having regular medical follow-up for CHF, having a higher income and having visited the emergency room for CHF.
Conclusion:
There may be a need to improve dissemination of information regarding availability and benefits of CHF clinics and criteria for referral.
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