From Monologue to Dialogue: The Pursuit of Relationship Centered Communication Across a Large, Integrated Healthcare System.

By listening to the "voice" of patients, Northwell Health, New York's largest healthcare organization, took an evidence-based approach to empowering physicians and advanced care providers. The Relationship Centered Communication course utilizes experiential learning to strengthen patient-centered communication and empathy skills to elicit provider-patient relationships grounded in partnership. This case study highlights (1) The pragmatic cultural journey requiring visionary leadership, strong collaborations, and an evolving educational strategy. (2) Over the course of 6 years, 3300+ providers were educated in this evidence-based communication course. (3) As a result, Northwell's Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems "Communication with Doctors" domain has increased by 22 percentile rank points, when compared nationally to peers, in addition to other notable patient experience metric improvements within ambulatory medical practice.

Evaluation of a Novel Educational Intervention to Improve Conversations About Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators Management in Patients with Advanced Heart Failure.

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death for high-risk patients with heart failure (HF), but shocks from these devices can also cause pain and anxiety at the end of life. Although professional society recommendations encourage proactive discussions about ICD deactivation, clinicians lack training in conducting these conversations, and they occur infrequently. Methods: As part of a six-center randomized controlled trial, we evaluated the educational component of a multicomponent intervention shown to increase conversations about ICD deactivation by clinicians who care for a subset of patients with advanced HF. This consisted of a 90-minute training workshop designed to improve the quality and frequency of conversations about ICD management. To characterize its utility as an isolated intervention, we compared HF clinicians' pre- and postworkshop scores (on a 5-point Likert scale) assessing self-reported confidence and skills in specific practices of advance care planning, ICD deactivation discussions, and empathic communication. Results: Forty intervention-group HF clinicians completed both pre- and postworkshop surveys. Preworkshop scores showed high baseline levels of confidence (4.36, standard deviation [SD] = 0.70) and skill (4.08, SD = 0.72), whereas comparisons of pre- and postworkshop scores showed nonsignificant decreases in confidence (-1.16, p = 0.252) and skill (-0.20, p = 0.843) after the training session. Conclusions: Our findings showed no significant changes in self-assessment ratings immediately after the educational intervention. However, our data did demonstrate that HF clinicians had high baseline self-perceptions of their skills in advance care planning conversations and appear to be well-primed for further professional development to improve communication in the setting of advanced HF.

Improving Communication in Heart Failure Patient Care.

BACKGROUND: Although implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) reduce sudden death, these patients die of heart failure (HF) or other diseases. To prevent shocks at the end of life, clinicians should discuss deactivating the defibrillation function. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine if a clinician-centered teaching intervention and automatic reminders increased ICD deactivation discussions and increased device deactivation. METHODS: In this 6-center, single-blinded, cluster-randomized, controlled trial, primary outcomes were proportion of patients: 1) having ICD deactivation discussions; and 2) having the shocking function deactivated. Secondary outcomes included goals of care conversations and advance directive completion. RESULTS: A total of 525 subjects were included with advanced HF who had an ICD: 301 intervention and 224 control. At baseline, 52% (n = 272) were not candidates for advanced therapies (i.e., cardiac transplant or mechanical circulatory support). There were no differences in discussions (41 [14%] vs. 26 [12%]) or deactivation (33 [11%] vs. 26 [12%]). In pre-specified subgroup analyses of patients who were not candidates for advanced therapies, the intervention increased deactivation discussions (32 [25%] vs. 16 [11%]; odds ratio: 2.90; p = 0.003). Overall, 99 patients died; there were no differences in conversations or deactivations among decedents. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Among all participants, there was an increase in goals of care conversations (47% intervention vs. 38% control; odds ratio: 1.53; p = 0.04). There were no differences in completion of advance directives. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention increased conversations about ICD deactivation and goals of care. HF clinicians were able to apply new communication techniques based on patients' severity of illness. (An Intervention to Improve Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Deactivation Conversations [WISDOM]; NCT01459744).

Reducing Readmissions among Heart Failure Patients Discharged to Home Health Care: Effectiveness of Early and Intensive Nursing Services and Early Physician Follow-Up.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of two "treatments"-early, intensive home health nursing and physician follow-up within a week-versus less intense and later postacute care in reducing readmissions among heart failure (HF) patients discharged to home health care. DATA SOURCES: National Medicare administrative, claims, and patient assessment data. STUDY DESIGN: Patients with a full week of potential exposure to the treatments were followed for 30 days to determine exposure status, 30-day all-cause hospital readmission, other health care use, and mortality. An extension of instrumental variables methods for nonlinear statistical models corrects for nonrandom selection of patients into treatment categories. Our instruments are the index hospital's rate of early aftercare for non-HF patients and hospital discharge day of the week. DATA EXTRACTION METHODS: All hospitalizations for a HF principal diagnosis with discharge to home health care between July 2009 and June 2010 were identified from source files. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Neither treatment by itself has a statistically significant effect on hospital readmission. In combination, however, they reduce the probability of readmission by roughly 8 percentage points (p < .001; confidence interval = -12.3, -4.1). Results are robust to changes in implementation of the nonlinear IV estimator, sample, outcome measure, and length of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Our results call for closer coordination between home health and medical providers in the clinical management of HF patients immediately after hospital discharge.

Incidence and Risk of Cardiac Events in Patients With Previously Treated Multiple Myeloma Versus Matched Patients Without Multiple Myeloma: An Observational, Retrospective, Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) patients have age-, disease-, and treatment-related risk factors for cardiac events. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the 2006 to 2011 MarketScan database to determine whether the risk of cardiac events is greater in MM patients than in non-MM patients. Included were 1723 MM patients treated with corticosteroids and ≥ 3 drugs (bortezomib, immunomodulatory derivatives, and alkylating agents or anthracyclines). The index date (ID) was the date on which the 3-drug exposure criterion was met. Also included were 8615 age- and gender-matched non-MM patients (5:1). The distribution of non-MM patients' IDs matched that of the MM patients' IDs. Baseline was 6 months before the ID. The follow-up duration was from the ID to study end (ie, 2011 or end of enrollment or prescription drug coverage). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were adjusted for baseline variables when the univariate analyses showed a 10% difference. RESULTS: The median duration of observation was 9 months (range, 0-60 months) for MM patients and 19 months (range, 0-66 months) for non-MM patients. The risk of any cardiac event (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.9-2.5), dysrhythmia (HR, 4.1; 95% CI, 3.5-4.8), congestive heart failure (HR, 2.9; 95% CI, 2.2-3.7), cardiomyopathy (HR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.8-3.8), and conduction disorders (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2-2.5) was significantly greater for MM than for non-MM patients. The incidence of hypertensive or arterial events and ischemic heart disease was similar between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: The present study provides the first known comparison of cardiac event risk in patients with MM versus age- and gender-matched patients without MM. The cardiac event risk was greater in MM patients with ≥ 3 previous drugs for any cardiac event, dysrhythmias, congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and conduction disorders compared with patients without MM.

Effects of a Psychosocial Transitional Care Model on Hospitalizations and Cost of Care for High Utilizers.

Evidence of care coordination programs to reduce readmissions is limited. We examined whether a social work transitional care model reduced hospital utilization and costs with a retrospective cohort study conducted from 9/3/2010-8/31/2012. Patients enrolled in the Preventable Admissions Care Team (PACT) program were matched to controls. PACT patients received follow-up from a social worker to address psychosocial strain. PACT reduced thirty-day readmission rate by 34% (p = <0.001), Sixty-day hospitalization rate by 22% (p = 0.004); ninety-day hospitalization rate by 19% (p = 0.006), and but not 180-day hospitalization rate. Inpatient costs thirty days post-index were $2.7 million for PACT patients and $3.6 million for controls.

Engaging heart failure clinicians to increase palliative care referrals: overcoming barriers, improving techniques.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is the most common cause of hospitalization among adults over the age of 65. Hospital readmission rates, mortality rates, and Medicare costs for patients with this disease are high. Furthermore, patients with HF experience a number of symptoms that worsen as the disease progresses. However, a small minority of patients with HF receives hospice or palliative care. One possible reason for this may be that the HF and palliative care clinicians have differing perspectives on the role of palliative care for these patients. AIM: The goal of the article is to offer palliative care clinicians a roadmap for collaborating with HF clinicians by reviewing the needs of patients with HF. CONCLUSIONS: This article reviews the needs of patients with HF and their families, the barriers to referral to palliative care for patients with HF, and provides suggestions for improving collaboration between palliative care and HF clinicians.

A study to improve communication between clinicians and patients with advanced heart failure: methods and challenges behind the working to improve discussions about defibrillator management trial.

We report the challenges of the Working to Improve Discussions About Defibrillator Management trial, our novel, multicenter trial aimed at improving communication between cardiology clinicians and their patients with advanced heart failure (HF) who have implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The study objectives are (1) to increase ICD deactivation conversations, (2) to increase the number of ICDs deactivated, and (3) to improve psychological outcomes in bereaved caregivers. The unit of randomization is the hospital, the intervention is aimed at HF clinicians, and the patient and caregiver are the units of analysis. Three hospitals were randomized to usual care and three to intervention. The intervention consists of an interactive educational session, clinician reminders, and individualized feedback. We enroll patients with advanced HF and their caregivers, and then we regularly survey them to evaluate whether the intervention has improved communication between them and their HF providers. We encountered three implementation barriers. First, there were institutional review board concerns at two sites because of the palliative nature of the study. Second, we had difficulty in creating entry criteria that accurately identified an HF population at high risk of dying. Third, we had to adapt our entry criteria to the changing landscape of ventricular assist devices and cardiac transplant eligibility. Here we present our novel solutions to the difficulties we encountered. Our work has the ability to enhance conduct of future studies focusing on improving care for patients with advanced illness.

Cardiac gene therapy.

Heart failure is a chronic progressive disorder in which frequent and recurrent hospitalizations are associated with high mortality and morbidity. The incidence and the prevalence of this disease will increase with the increase in the number of the aging population of the United States. Understanding the molecular pathology and pathophysiology of this disease will uncover novel targets and therapies that can restore the function or attenuate the damage of malfunctioning cardiomyocytes by gene therapy that becomes an interesting and a promising field for the treatment of heart failure as well as other diseases in the future. Of equal importance are developing vectors and delivery methods that can efficiently transduce most of the cardiomyocytes that can offer a long-term expression and that can escape the host immune response. Recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors have the potential to become a promising novel therapeutic vehicles for molecular medicine in the future.

Preemptive axillo-axillary placement of percutaneous transseptal ventricular assist device to facilitate high-risk reoperative cardiac surgery.

We describe preemptive placement of a TandemHeart percutaneous left ventricular assist device (CardiacAssist Inc, Pittsburgh, PA) through the axillary artery and vein for temporary postoperative support in a patient with severe left ventricular dysfunction undergoing high-risk cardiac reoperation. We believe this approach is preferable to high-dose catecholamines because of preserved early tissue perfusion without excessive vasoconstriction. Axillo-axillary placement is advantageous because patients can sit up and partially mobilize, and there is no need to reopen the chest for explantation.

Transcatheter repair of perivalvular regurgitation.

Hemodynamically significant perivalvular regurgitation affects about 1.5% of all prosthetic valve implants. Reoperation carries increased risk--especially in the setting of concomitant comorbidities of left ventricular dysfunction, prior coronary artery bypass grafts, renal dysfunction, and advanced age. Transcatheter closure of the perivalvular regurgitant channel using a variety of occluders has been available for several years; however, recent improvements in technology and technique have made this therapy more effective and available to a wider group of patients. This article describes the recent advances and the state of the art of this therapy.

Consensus guideline on parenteral methadone use in pain and palliative care.

Once used only as third-line therapy for chronic pain management, methadone is now being used as first- and second-line therapy in palliative care. The risks and stigma associated with methadone use are known, but difficulties with dosing methadone and lack of an established conversion protocol from other opiates have limited the access for patient populations who could potentially benefit from this medication. For palliative care patients, the benefits of methadone can far outweigh its risks. This article provides an overview and specific recommendations on the use of parenteral methadone in pain and palliative care, with a focus on the transition from hospital to home/hospice care. The goal of this consensus guideline is to assist clinicians who are providing chronic pain management in acute care hospital and nonhospital settings (i.e., hospice, long-term care facilities, and community) for patients with life-limiting illnesses, where the goals of care are focused on comfort (i.e., palliative care). The recommendations in this article intend to promote a standard of care involving the use of intravenous methadone with the aim of reaching a broader population of patients for whom this drug would provide important benefits.

Nonexcitatory, cardiac contractility modulation electrical impulses: feasibility study for advanced heart failure in patients with normal QRS duration.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac contractility modulation signals are associated with acutely improved hemodynamics, but chronic clinical impact is not defined. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, pilot study was to determine the feasibility of safely and effectively delivering cardiac contractility modulation signals in patients with heart failure. METHODS: Forty-nine subjects with ejection fraction <35%, normal QRS duration (105 +/- 15 ms), and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV heart failure despite medical therapy received a cardiac contractility modulation pulse generator. Patients were randomized to have their devices programmed to deliver cardiac contractility modulation signals (n = 25, treatment group) or to remain off (n = 24, control group) for 6 months. Evaluations included NYHA class, 6-minute walk, cardiopulmonary stress test, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, and Holter monitoring. RESULTS: Although most baseline features were balanced between groups, ejection fraction (31.4% +/- 7.4% vs 24.9% +/- 6.5%, P = .003), end-diastolic dimension (52.1 +/- 21.4 mm vs 62.5 +/- 6.2 mm, P = .01), peak VO(2) (16.0 +/- 2.9 mL O(2)/kg/min vs 14.3 +/- 2.8 mL O(2)/kg/min, P = .02), and anaerobic threshold (12.3 +/- 2.5 mL O(2)/kg/min vs 10.6 +/- 2.4 mL O(2)/kg/min, P = .01) were worse in the treatment group than in the control group. Nevertheless, one death occurred in the control group, and more patients in the treatment group were free of hospitalization for any cause at 6 months (84% vs 62%). No change in ectopy was observed. Compared with baseline, 6-minute walk (13.4 m), peak VO(2) (0.2 mL O(2)/kg/min), and anaerobic threshold (0.8 mL O(2)/kg/min) increased more in the treatment group than in control. None of these differences were statistically significant (small sample size). NYHA and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire changed similarly in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Despite a sicker population in the treatment group, no specific safety concerns emerged with chronic cardiac contractility modulation signal administration. Further study is required to definitively define the safety and efficacy of cardiac contractility modulation signals.

Gender differences in in-hospital management and outcomes in patients with decompensated heart failure: analysis from the Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry (ADHERE).

BACKGROUND: The impact of gender differences has not been well described in patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Through review of medical records, data on characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed on 105,388 patient records according to gender. Women accounted for 52% of these admissions and were older than men (74.5 versus 70.1 years,) and more commonly had preserved left ventricular function (51% versus 28%). Based on history, women were less likely to have coronary artery disease (51% versus 64%) and its risk factors, but more commonly had hypertension (76% versus 70%). Both genders received similar intravenous diuretic regimens, but fewer women received vasoactive therapy (24% vs 31%). Evidence-based oral therapies were underused in both genders. Women consistently received less procedure-oriented therapy. Mean length of stay (women 5.9, men 5.8 days) and the risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio 0.974 [0.910-1.042], P = .4390) were similar in both genders. CONCLUSION: More women than men are hospitalized with ADHF. Heart failure with preserved left ventricular function predominates in women. Though women are treated less aggressively, treatment gaps exists in both sexes. Despite these differences, length of stay and in-hospital mortality rates are similar.

Hospitalization for heart failure in the presence of a normal left ventricular ejection fraction: results of the New York Heart Failure Registry.

OBJECTIVES: We conducted a prospective multicenter registry in a large metropolitan area to define the clinical characteristics, hospital course, treatment, and factors precipitating decompensation in patients hospitalized for heart failure with a normal ejection fraction (HFNEF). BACKGROUND: The clinical profile of patients hospitalized for HFNEF has been characterized by retrospective analyses of hospital records and state data banks, with few prospective single-center studies. METHODS: Patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) at 24 medical centers in the New York metropolitan area and found to have a left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction of > or 50% within seven days of admission were included in this registry. Patient demographics, signs and symptoms of HF, coexisting and exacerbating cardiovascular and medical conditions, treatment, laboratory tests, procedures, and hospital outcomes data were collected. Analysis by gender and race was prespecified. RESULTS: Of 619 patients, 73% were women, who were on average four years older than men (72.8 +/- 14.1 years vs. 68.6 +/- 13.8 years, p < 0.001). Black non-Hispanic patients comprised 30% of the study population. They were eight years younger than other patients (66.0 +/- 14.2 years vs. 74 +/- 13.5 years p < 0.001). Co-morbid conditions and their prevalence were: hypertension, 78%; increased LV mass, 82%; diabetes, 46%; and obesity, 46%. Before clinical decompensation that precipitated hospitalization, 86% of patients had chronic symptoms compatible with New York Heart Association functional classes II to IV. Factors precipitating clinical decompensation were identified in 53% of patients. In-hospital mortality was 4.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients hospitalized for HFNEF are most often chronically incapacitated elderly women with a history of hypertension and increased LV mass. Reasons for clinical decompensation are identified in only one-half of patients.

Elevada prevalencia de anticuerpos antirreceptores ß adrenérgicos con actividad agonista en pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica y disfunción ventricular izquierda severa / High prevalence of antibeta adrenergic receptor antibodies with agonist-like activity in ischemic heart disease with severe left ventricular dysfunction

Anticuerpos estimulantes que reconocen los receptores ß adrenérgicos han sido descriptos en pacientes con cardiomiopatía dilatada idiopática, miocarditis aguda, enfermedad de Chagas y arritmias ventriculares primarias. La prevalencia de anticuerpos estimulantes que reconocen los receptores ß adrenérgicos con actividad agonista fue estudiada en pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica y disfunción ventricular izquierda severa en comparación con pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica y función ventricular izquierda normal o moderadamente deprimida, con cardiomiopatía dilatada idiopática y controles sanos. El suero de pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica y disfunción ventricular izquierda severa contiene anticuerpos que reconocen y estimulan los receptores ß adrenérgicos, con una prevalencia similar a la de los pacientes con cardiomiopatía dilatada idiopática. Ello sugeriría que en la cardiopatía isquémica con disfunción ventricular izquierda severa el importante daño miocárdico isquémico podría inducir una respuesta inmunorregulatoria anormal que involucra a los receptores ß adrenérgicos por mecanismos desconocidos o la presencia de una cardiomiopatía concomitante no sospechada. En cualquier caso, la demostración de la presencia de estos anticuerpos puede modificar en forma sustancial los conceptos actuales sobre la patogenia y terapéutica de los pacientes coronarios en la etapa dilatada y terminal de su enfermedad

Elevada prevalencia de anticuerpos antirreceptores ß adrenérgicos con actividad agonista en pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica y disfunción ventricular izquierda severa / High prevalence of antibeta adrenergic receptor antibodies with agonist-like activity in ischemic heart disease with severe left ventricular dysfunction

Anticuerpos estimulantes que reconocen los receptores ß adrenérgicos han sido descriptos en pacientes con cardiomiopatía dilatada idiopática, miocarditis aguda, enfermedad de Chagas y arritmias ventriculares primarias. La prevalencia de anticuerpos estimulantes que reconocen los receptores ß adrenérgicos con actividad agonista fue estudiada en pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica y disfunción ventricular izquierda severa en comparación con pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica y función ventricular izquierda normal o moderadamente deprimida, con cardiomiopatía dilatada idiopática y controles sanos. El suero de pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica y disfunción ventricular izquierda severa contiene anticuerpos que reconocen y estimulan los receptores ß adrenérgicos, con una prevalencia similar a la de los pacientes con cardiomiopatía dilatada idiopática. Ello sugeriría que en la cardiopatía isquémica con disfunción ventricular izquierda severa el importante daño miocárdico isquémico podría inducir una respuesta inmunorregulatoria anormal que involucra a los receptores ß adrenérgicos por mecanismos desconocidos o la presencia de una cardiomiopatía concomitante no sospechada. En cualquier caso, la demostración de la presencia de estos anticuerpos puede modificar en forma sustancial los conceptos actuales sobre la patogenia y terapéutica de los pacientes coronarios en la etapa dilatada y terminal de su enfermedad (AU)