Abstract

MARQUES, Irene et al. Multidisciplinary Heart Failure Clinic: How to Implement. Medicina Interna [online]. 2017, vol.24, n.4, pp.308-317. ISSN 0872-671X.  https://doi.org/10.24950/rspmi/R58/17/2017.

The objective of this article is to briefly review the state-of-theart about heart failure clinics and to report the implementation of our clinic, as an example in the Portuguese reality. Thereby, the evidence supporting the recommendations to implement those clinics is reviewed, as well as their structure, domains that need to be addressed, necessary interventions and the impact on outcomes after their implementation. After revision of the scarce evidence from Portuguese reality, we reveal how we implemented our multidisciplinary heart failure clinic. We present our team, the structured follow-up program and the impact in the major outcomes after the first three years of clinical practice, namely mortality and readmission reduction. In conclusion, we think that care to heart failure patients in Portugal can improve, if more heart failure clinics are implemented, and we hope this article can promote that process.

Keywords : Ambulatory Care; Delivery of Health Care; Heart Failure; Hospitalization.

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