By applying ACC’s Patient Navigator Program, hospitals may successfully reduce the readmission rate among primary heart failure (HF) patients, according to an abstract which will be presented March 18 during ACC.17 in Washington, DC.

Katherine DiPalo, PharmD, et al., reviewed the results from Montefiore Medical Center’s implementation of ACC’s Patient Navigator Program. A Navigator Team – including a nurse and a pharmacist – provided education, scheduled follow-up and medical therapy recommendations to 51 HF patients from June 2015 to January 2016.

Results showed that the patient-tailored approach decreased readmission rate by 81.3 percent, from 25.6 percent to 4.8 percent, and significantly increased the education available and follow-up offered to patients.

“We are excited to see how our data, especially the early post discharge appointment, was adopted by the Hospital Readmissions Reduction program at Montefiore Medical Center, across all three campuses in the Bronx,” DiPalo states.

Ileana Pina, MD, MPH, adds, “It takes a commitment by hospitals, including hiring of FTE’s as support staff as Navigator Program Leaders, and dollars to achieve significant results.”

“The results are encouraging but preliminary,” commented Kim A. Eagle, MD, MACC, editor-in-chief of ACC.org. “We need more data to truly estimate the precise level of benefit of this wonderful program.”

Keywords: Appointments and Schedules, Follow-Up Studies, Heart Failure, Hospitals, Patient Navigation, Patient Readmission, Personnel Selection, Pharmacists, ACC17, ACC Annual Scientific Session

< Back to Listings