Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Post-Discharge Care in Heart Failure

摘要

To conduct a technology assessment on the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for post-discharge care in heart failure patients. Certain interventions, specifically, education on self-care management have become usual care, rather than a specific intervention of interest. Thus, increased access to providers and interventions such as telephone support, clinic visits, home visits, home telemonitor, and multidisciplinary discharge care were deemed interventions of interest. The main outcome of interest was the rate of readmission. To assess the relative effects of these interventions compared with usual care on readmission, we grouped studies that utilized similar interventions for post-discharge care and performed meta-analyses using a random effects model. We performed a qualitative assessment on other outcomes of interest and noted the differences across studies between the intervention and control groups. These outcomes included mortality, length of hospital stay, quality of life and combined endpoints.