Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects
Access Control
Open Access
Degree Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Degree Track
Family Nurse Practioner
Year Degree Awarded
2020
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/17582572
Month Degree Awarded
May
Advisor
Dr. Heather Hamilton
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Review of Literature: Worldwide heart failure (HF) prevalence rates are steadily increasing at a high magnitude. With rates of mortality and morbidity high for those diagnosed with HF, patients are often faced with a poor prognosis. Management of the disease that is in accordance with the most recent recommended guidelines has been shown to reduce exacerbations that require hospitalizations and thereby preserving patient quality of life and life expectancy.
Purpose: The purpose of this project was to decrease hospital readmissions for HF exacerbations in the primary care setting through improving practitioner and patient adherence to the current HF treatment guidelines.
Methods: This quality improvement project was designed as a process improvement project. In order to collect data a pre-intervention/post-intervention project design was used. A self-developed Heart Failure Management Checklist and Likert Survey were utilized to collect data.
Results: Descriptive statistical analysis showed a significant improvement, in most cases >15%, in the management of heart failure patients, when providers utilized the Heart Failure Checklist as a tool to adhere to the most current practice guidelines and recommendations.
Conclusion: Primary care providers should have greater access to HF guidelines and the use of HF succinct checklist in an effort to bridge the gap in knowledge between themselves and cardiologists and to improve HF patient outcomes. This project attempted to bridge this gap through a succinct checklist underlining the most current HF treatment recommendations.
Keywords: Heart failure, hospitalizations, readmission, practice guidelines
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