Technology Assessment: Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Post-Discharge Care in Heart Failure

Table of Contents

Final Draft

Technology Assessment Report

Project ID: CRDT0607

February 29, 2008

Tufts-NEMC Evidence-based Practice Center

Gowri Raman, MD
Deirdre DeVine, MLitt
Joseph Lau, MD

This report is based on research conducted by the Tufts-New England Medical Center Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD (Contract No. 290-02-0022). The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors who are responsible for its contents. The findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The information in this report is intended to help health care decision-makers; patients and clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers, make well-informed decisions and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of clinical judgment. Decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical reference and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients.

This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for development of clinical practice guidelines and other quality enhancement tools, or as a basis for reimbursement and coverage policies. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such derivative products may not be stated or implied.

None of the investigators has any affiliations or financial involvement related to the material presented in this report.

Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Methods
Results
    Evaluation of key question 1
    Interventions beginning inpatient
    Interventions beginning post-discharge
    Interventions in the outpatient clinics
    Review of recent published systematic review
Conclusion
Reference List

Appendices
Appendix A
    Search Strategy
    Discharge Plan data extraction/summary tables
    Summary table templates
    Bibliography
Appendix B
    Table B1. Interventions on recruited patients inpatient
    Table B2: Interventions post discharge
    Table B3: Interventions on recruited patients in OPD clinic
Appendix C
    Table C1a. Cost among patients with interventions beginning inpatient versus control
    Table C1b. Combined endpoints of mortality or readmission in the intervention beginning inpatient compared with control group
    Table C2a. Cost incurred among interventions post discharge versus control group
    Table C2b. Combined endpoints of mortality or death among interventions post discharge versus control group
    Table C3. Combined end points and costs incurred in patients beginning intervention in the outpatient clinic versus control group