Heart failure (HF) affects over 5 million Americans with HF morbidity reaching epidemic proportions. Annual rates of new and recurrent HF events including hospitalization and mortality are higher among African Americans. In this study, the investigators are testing an interdisciplinary model for heart failure care, with focus on enhancing self management and use of telehealth, which has significant potential to improve self management and outcomes. The main purpose of this study is to learn how to help African Americans with heart failure care for themselves at home. We hope to find out if a team including a nurse and community health navigator using a computer telehealth device can help people with heart failure stay healthier. The team will help people with heart failure to manage their medication, monitor their symptoms and weigh themselves every day after they leave the hospital. The team will also help people with heart failure learn to solve problems that may keep them from following their treatment plan.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
11
The intervention is aimed at preventing HF exacerbations and hospitalizations by improving self management with the support of the Home Automated Telemonitoring (HAT) system. The intervention was delivered by a RN-community health navigator (CHN) team over three months to HF patients and their caregivers in their home and via telephone and HAT system. The intervention was initiated during the index hospitalization. The RN-CHN team collaborated with participants, caregivers, and their usual source of HF care. Intervention strategies included tracking of weight and HF symptoms to provide feedback regarding self management and plan of care, enhancing medication and symptom self management, promoting HF care follow up, and promoting communication with providers.
Participants assigned to usual care are treated by their usual source of HF care in the usual manner and in accordance with the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines for the management of HF. Usual care for HF patients admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital also includes the following: 1) Referral to HF clinic if the patient has no usual source of care and 2) HF patient education booklet.
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Rehospitalization
Rehospitalization with primary diagnosis of heart failure
Time frame: 3 months post enrollment
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