Main Findings : The results indicate that an intervention involving any human factor principles may nearly double an individual ’s probability of not being readmitted .
Principal Conclusions : Interventions with human factor principles reduce readmissions among HF patients .
Background : Human factors play an important role in health-care outcomes of heart failure ( HF ) patients .
A systematic review and meta- analysis of clinical trial studies on HF hospitalization may yield positive proofs of the beneficial effect of specific care management strategies .
Purpose : To investigate how the 8 guiding principles of choice , rest , environment , activity , trust , interpersonal relationships , outlook , and nutrition reduce HF readmissions .
[Randomized controlled clinical trial of a home care unit intervention to reduce readmission and death rates in patients discharged from hospital following admission for heart failure].
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of a primarily educational intervention in heart failure ( HF ) patients implemented in a home care unit . METHODS This r and omized controlled clinical trial involved 279 HF patients who were discharged from a tertiary-care hospital between February 2001 and June 2002 . Patients with dementia , terminal non-cardiac disease , or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were excluded . Data collected included the cause of cardiac decompensation . A primarily educational intervention was implemented in the patient 's home for up to 15 days after hospital discharge . Treatment was adjusted during the first week if necessary . The primary outcome measure was the 1-year cumulative incidence of readmission or death . Secondary measures were the incidence of readmission , mortality , and emergency department admission .  Telephone interviews were carried out 3 , 6 and 12 months after discharge , and clinical records were up date d when necessary . Emergency department admission in the first 6 months was monitored . RESULTS At 1-year follow-up , 62 of the 137 patients ( 45.3 % ) in the intervention group had been readmitted or died , compared with 75 of the 142 ( 52.8 % ) in the control group , ( relative risk=0.86 , P=.232 ) . Among patients who suffered decompensation because failure to adhere to treatment , 16 of the 45 ( 35.6 % ) in the intervention group were readmitted or died , compared with 34 of the 56 ( 60.7 % ) control group patients ( relative risk=0.59 , P=.016 ) . CONCLUSIONS This intervention is feasible but , when applied indiscriminately to every discharged heart failure patient , the best that can be expected is only a modest reduction in readmission and death rates , which , in this study in particular , did not achieve statistical significance
Main Findings : The results indicate that an intervention involving any human factor principles may nearly double an individual ’s probability of not being readmitted .
Principal Conclusions : Interventions with human factor principles reduce readmissions among HF patients .
Background : Human factors play an important role in health-care outcomes of heart failure ( HF ) patients .
A systematic review and meta- analysis of clinical trial studies on HF hospitalization may yield positive proofs of the beneficial effect of specific care management strategies .
Purpose : To investigate how the 8 guiding principles of choice , rest , environment , activity , trust , interpersonal relationships , outlook , and nutrition reduce HF readmissions .