AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Hospital-Based Heart Failure Nurse Advocate Reduces Readmissions and Hospital Costs

Hospital-Based Heart Failure Nurse Advocate Reduces Readmissions and Hospital Costs

Snapshot
Summary
Six Catholic Healthcare Partners' hospitals created the position of heart failure advocate, staffed by registered nurses who received extensive training in heart failure management and treatment. These advocates educated nurses, physicians, and administrators on guideline-based management and treatment of heart failure; taught high-risk patients how to better manage their condition; and conducted followup with these patients after discharge. Advocates spent about half their time working with staff and half with individual patients. The program significantly reduced readmission rates and hospital costs for those readmitted; however, it was discontinued due to financial constraints, as revenues declined significantly because of the reduction in readmissions.

Evidence Rating
Moderate: The evidence consists of a comparison of readmission rates and hospital costs for those patients seen by heart failure advocates to those not seeing an advocate.

Developing Organizations
Catholic Healthcare Partners


abrir aquí para acceder al documento AHRQ completo:
AHRQ Innovations Exchange | Hospital-Based Heart Failure Nurse Advocate Reduces Readmissions and Hospital Costs