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Specialist heart failure nurses needed to redress poor GP performance
Nursing Older People
|October 12, 2016
Insights
Older adults with heart failure (HF) are underserved by general practitioners (GPs). Many patients miss specialist referrals and receive suboptimal medication, impacting their care quality.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Geriatrics
- General Practice
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a significant geriatric condition requiring specialized management.
- Current general practice management of HF in older adults may be suboptimal.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the quality of care provided by general practitioners (GPs) to older patients with heart failure (HF).
- To identify potential gaps in specialist referral and medication prescription for geriatric HF patients.
Main Methods:
- A European survey was conducted among general practitioners.
- Data on referral patterns and medication choices for older HF patients were collected.
Main Results:
- GPs frequently fail to refer older patients with HF to specialists.
- Suboptimal medication prescribing for this demographic is common.
- This indicates a potential disparity in care for elderly HF patients.
Conclusions:
- Older individuals with HF may not be receiving optimal care from their GPs.
- There is a need for improved adherence to specialist referral guidelines and evidence-based medication practices in geriatric HF management.
Abstract:
Older people with heart failure (HF) are getting a raw deal from GPs who often fail to refer them to a specialist and prescribe less than optimal medication, according to a new European survey.
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