Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Palliative Medicine
• Oncology

Background:

• Chronic heart failure (CHF) presents significant healthcare challenges with high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality.
• Patients with CHF share symptom burdens and support needs with oncological patients.
• Despite these shared needs, CHF patients infrequently access specialized palliative care (SPC).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the critical need for SPC in chronic heart failure management.
• To explore practical strategies for delivering SPC to CHF patients and their families.
• To align SPC delivery with patient preferences and end-of-life care considerations.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on palliative care in chronic heart failure.
• Analysis of symptom management and psychosocial support needs in advanced CHF.
• Examination of end-of-life care models applicable to non-malignant diseases.

Main Results:

• Identified parallels in care requirements between advanced CHF and terminal cancer.
• Highlighted the gap in SPC provision for CHF patients.
• Discussed various approaches to integrate palliative care into CHF trajectories.

Conclusions:

• There is a clear and unmet need for specialized palliative care for patients with chronic heart failure.
• Integrating SPC can address complex symptoms and support needs, improving patient and family outcomes.
• Tailoring SPC to individual patient preferences is essential for effective end-of-life care in CHF.