Heart failure clinics: The need of the hour

Team Udayavani, Jun 17, 2022, 10:42 AM IST

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Over 40% of the world’s heart failure patients are found in India alone. Heart failure has become one of the major health crises that needs special care, treatment, and disciplined management.

Addressing emotional and physical well‐being along with personalized guidance for a heart failure patient must be made an integral part of the care. This brings to the fore the urgent need to address the disease burden by facilitating effective and quality care to patients at dedicated heart failure clinics.

Inconsistency in treatment, lack of adherence to treatment protocols, poor lifestyle and irregular consultations lead to hospitalisations and readmissions. They are the cause of constantly deteriorating conditions and premature death in patients. However, constant communication with cardiologists and regular compliance to treatment and recommended lifestyle, can boost treatment effectiveness, and improve the overall quality of life. This further helps patients manage their condition better by keeping them motivated for long-term treatment.

Dr. Rahul Patil, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, Head, Premature Heart Diseases Division, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, Bangalore says, “With the burden of heart failure snowballing in India and the associated high death rates, it is necessary to recognize heart failure as a public health priority in the country. Heart failure is a progressive disease that requires lifelong management. Basis my clinical observation, delayed treatment and non-adherence to prescribed treatment result in almost 25% of hospitalisations among patients. Dedicated heart clinics, with well-trained nursing staff and primary healthcare providers are the need of the hour. Specialised clinics provide patients with tertiary care facilities, ensuring holistic monitoring with proper care helping patients adhere to the treatment schedules.”

Awareness through dedicated heart failure clinics not only facilitate better understanding and help patients identify risk factors, but also with well-trained nursing staff and primary healthcare providers it enables regular treatment and helps with timely intervention and correct information to manage patient’s condition better.

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