Nursing Interventions in Long-term Heart Failure Management

Abstract

Introduction:

The current landscape lacks a standardized program for educating heart failure nurses and other healthcare professionals in Europe, and the ideal level of experience, training, and education for this role remains a topic of debate. This review is centered on interventions led by healthcare workers aimed at enhancing outcomes for patients with heart failure through education and capacity-building initiatives.

Methods:

A comprehensive search for studies was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, with the assistance of a librarian, focusing on English language literature published between 2000 and August 2022. Studies were included if they followed a randomized design. Relevant papers were also sought through searches in CINAHL, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and the National Research Register. Additionally, the reference lists of retrieved papers were scrutinized to ensure no relevant studies were overlooked. A data extraction tool was devised based on established appraisal frameworks and sample data extraction forms, and its suitability for this review was confirmed through testing on three studies. The tool was structured to facilitate summarization of primary studies, streamlining the data synthesis process.

Results:

This review scrutinized findings from 9 studies assessing the efficacy of interventions targeting heart failure management. These interventions primarily involved nurse-led symptom monitoring via telephone communication with patients. Results indicated a 20% relative risk reduction in heart failure-related hospitalizations and deaths, predominantly attributed to fewer heart failure hospitalizations. Moreover, there was a notable 47% decrease in the primary outcome of all-cause hospitalization or emergency room visits.

Conclusions:

Timely intervention and a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to management, incorporating advanced practice registered nurses, have the potential to enhance survival rates and prolong disease progression in individuals with heart failure