Critical Appraisal of Multivariable Prognostic Scores in Heart Failure: Development, Validation and Clinical Utility

Optimal management of heart failure requires accurate risk assessment. Many prognostic risk models have been proposed for patient with chronic and acute heart failure. Methodological critical issues are the data source, the outcome of interest, the choice of variables entering the model, the validation of the model in external population. Up to now, the proposed risk models can be a useful tool to help physician in the clinical decision-making. The availability of big data and of new methods of analysis may lead to developing new models in the future.