Heart Failure - Drug Therapy and Care Management - Research Paper Example

Introduction I searched the MEDLINE database by using the Medical Heading term heart failure, with the subheading drug therapy, and care management. I limited the search to English-language articles on human research that were published between 1990 and December 2005. The search yielded 4007 citations. Additional sources of information were bibliographies of identified articles, consensus guidelines and Internet searches. Whenever possible, I gathered data from large-scale randomized trials with clinically important end points (death and hospitalization) because these studies have the most rigorous designs and provide the most useful information. Care Management Programs Care management typically refers to multidisciplinary efforts to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of care for selected patients suffering from chronic conditions. These programs involve interventions designed to improve adherence to scientific guidelines and treatment plans. Much of the interest within the healthcare community in exploring care management strategies has been fueled by the success in the HF arena and by the growing desire of public and private payers to effectively manage chronic conditions and to control their increasing costs. Bill is a 75 year old gentleman living alone in a sixth floor warden controlled flat. Bill was diagnosed with left ventricular systolic dysfunction three years ago. He has an ejection fraction of Read More