Study: Nurse-driven heart failure support boosts compliance

A new study suggests that if heart failure patients get intensive support from a heart failure nurse and a multidisciplinary team, they're more likely to comply with key non-medical interventions like salt and fluid intake restrictions and regular weigh-ins. The study looked at 1,023 heart failure patients, average age 71, treated at 17 hospitals, and divided them into groups getting standard cardiologist visits only, cardiologist visits plus education and counseling from a heart failure nurse, and intensive counseling from a heart failure nurse, dietician, social worker and physiotherapist.

During the study, researchers found that patients receiving support improved their compliance over their status prior to the study in several key areas. For example, 90 percent of support group patients met fluid restrictions, compared with 67 percent prior to the study, while there was no change in the control group. Meanwhile, patients in the support group were also more aware of symptoms of worsening heart failure, researchers found.

To learn more about the study:
- read this HealthDay News piece

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