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Published on: July 12, 2024
Heart Failure Care Delivery in the COVID-19 Era: The Patients' Perspective
Meg Fraser1, Melinda Mutschler1, Christie Newman1
1Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Insights
Patients with heart failure (HF) worry about contracting COVID-19 due to increased risk but are not hesitant to seek care. They prefer in-person appointments over virtual visits for managing their condition.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered global healthcare delivery, leading to reduced patient volumes in hospital systems.
- Heart failure (HF) patients may be at higher risk for severe COVID-19 infection.
- Understanding patient perceptions and preferences is crucial for maintaining continuity of care during a pandemic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess heart failure patients' perceptions of COVID-19 risks.
- To determine heart failure patients' preferences for healthcare delivery during the pandemic.
- To inform strategies for patient engagement and care provision in HF clinics.
Main Methods:
- A voluntary, anonymous 10-question survey was administered to chronic heart failure (HF) patients.
- Patients were recruited from in-person and virtual clinic visits.
- Exclusion criteria included acute decompensation and heart transplant recipients.
Main Results:
- 109 HF patients completed the survey (average age 62 ± 14 years, 67% male, 59% HFrEF).
- Patients expressed concern about contracting COVID-19 and perceived higher susceptibility to severe illness.
- Despite concerns, patients showed no hesitation in seeking healthcare and preferred in-person visits over virtual consultations.
Conclusions:
- Heart failure patients are aware of and concerned about their elevated COVID-19 risk.
- Patients actively seek medical attention for symptoms and favor in-person care.
- These findings highlight the need for accessible and preferred care modalities for HF patients during public health crises.
Abstract:
Purpose: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is changing healthcare delivery around the world with hospital systems experiencing a dramatic decline in patient volumes. Surveying our center's heart failure (HF) clinic population, we aimed to understand our patients' perception of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and care delivery preferences. Methods: Patients with chronic HF presenting either in-person or virtually were approached to complete a ten question, anonymous, voluntary survey. Acutely decompensated patients and heart transplant recipients were excluded. Results: 109 patients completed the survey. Average age was 62 ± 14 years, 67% were male, and 59% had HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Overall, patients were worried about contracting COVID-19 and believed they were prone to more severe infection given their underlying HF. However, they were not hesitant to initiate healthcare contact for symptoms and preferred in-person appointments over virtual visits. Although the difference did not reach statistical significance, female patients and those with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) were more concerned. Conclusions: Patients with HF are concerned about their increased risk of contracting COVID-19. However, they are actively seeking healthcare contact and prefer in-person over virtual visits.
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