Palliative Care for Heart Failure Patients

Allina Health System

Status: Completed

Conditions: Heart Failure

Treatments: Other: Control; Other: Palliative Care Consultation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01519479

3601-2

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of palliative care consultation on quality of life and symptom management for patients hospitalized with acute heart failure with a randomized control trial at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

Full description

Research questions:

Q1. Does the provision of palliative care to heart failure patients yield higher quality of life, increased symptom management, or reduced depression compared to heart failure patients not receiving palliative care?

Q2. Does the provision of palliative care to heart failure patients result in differential use of medical services (lower hospital days and readmission) compared to heart failure patients not receiving systematic palliative care?

Enrollment: 232 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Abbott Northwestern Hospital inpatient adults with a diagnosis of acute heart failure

Exclusion criteria

• Are not an inpatient at Abbott Northwestern Hospital
• Are in the ICU
• On a ventilator
• Are pre-or post heart transplant
• Have a ventricular assist device (VAD)
• Determined to be actively dying
• Have cognitive impairments such that informed consent would not be possible,
• Are not proficient in the English language

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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232 participants in 2 patient groups

Palliative Care Consultation

Experimental group

Description:

Participant will get one palliative care consultation while in the hospital. The participants desire for subsequent palliative care visits will be determined and mutually agreed upon at the initial consultation.

Treatment:

Other: Palliative Care Consultation

Control

Active Comparator group

Description:

Usual care for HF patient which may include a palliative care consult if ordered by treating physician.

Treatment:

Other: Control