Earlier heart failure diagnosis in primary care

[摘要] A timely and accurate heart failure diagnosis is the gateway to effective treatment that can improve quality of life and prognosis for patients;1 however, almost 80% of people receive an initial diagnosis following emergency admission to hospital.2 This is distressing for patients and families, costly to the NHS, and usually denotes progression to a later stage of disease. The British Heart Foundation has called for earlier diagnosis of heart failure to be prioritised,3 but what are the challenges for primary care?HEART FAILURE BURDEN Around a million people in England are living with heart failure, and nearly 200 000 are newly diagnosed each year.4 Patients typically experience increasing breathlessness, fatigue, and leg swelling, which can impair their quality of life. The outlook following a heart failure diagnosis is worse than many common cancers and survival rates have not improved substantially in the last two decades.5 The NHS spends around £2 billion per year on heart failure care, with most of the cost incurred through emergency department attendance, prolonged hospital stay, and frequent readmissions.1 Families and carers are also impacted and can often play a vital role in supporting patients following diagnosis.

[学科分类] 卫生学