American Heart Association Launches Initiative to Increase Education on Heart Failure

Author(s):

Ashley Gallagher, Editor

Key Takeaways

The initiative addresses clinician knowledge gaps, aiming to improve access to advanced HF therapies and patient outcomes.
HF prevalence is increasing, with projections reaching 11.4 million by 2050, highlighting the need for improved treatment pathways.
Pharmacists play a vital role in HF management, aiding in medication reconciliation, patient education, and reducing hospital readmissions.
The 3-year program involves 15 sites sharing challenges and solutions, focusing on successful HF care models through conferences and webinars.

The initiative will provide information about care models for specialists and clinical teams to improve patient outcomes in heart failure.

The American Heart Association launched a new initiative to raise awareness about heart failure (HF) treatment pathways and education on treatment beyond the traditional guideline-related therapies. The initiative will provide information about care models for specialists and clinical teams to improve patient outcomes in HF, according to a news release from the organization.¹

Cardiovascular, Heart Failure, American Heart Association, Pharmacists

There has been a rise in prevalence, mortality, and impact of heart failure in the United States | Image Credit: irissca | stock.adobe.com

“Knowledge gaps among clinicians may contribute to variations and disparities in the types of patients who receive advanced HF therapies, and resultant delays or lack of referral can lead to adverse consequences for patients and their families,” Mariell Jessup, MD, FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association, said in the news release. “This initiative will create nationwide education on the full array of treatment options for eligible people living with advanced heart failure, helping to bridge these gaps.”¹

There has been a rise in prevalence, mortality, and impact of HF in the United States, with approximately 6.7 million Americans older than 20 years having HF. It is predicted that the number will rise to 8.7 million by 2030, 10.3 million by 2040, and 11.4 million by 2050, according to the Heart Failure Society of America. The organization found that the number of patients aged 35 to 64 years has increased, and obesity and hypertension remain critical risk factors for HF. Pharmacists play a critical role in ambulatory care and as transition-of-care liaisons. They can serve as inpatient and outpatient team members, which can reduce hospital readmission and increase benefits of management and treatment. Pharmacists can facilitate medication reconciliation, patient education, medication dosage titration and adjustment, monitoring, disease management, and inform on medication adherence.^2-4

The education initiative is a 3-year program that aims at the understanding of HF treatment pathways and implementing successful models of treatment. The sites included will share challenges, develop solutions, and have access to education on successful models of care in conferences, posters, and webinars.¹

In the initiative, 15 different sites will be included to engage in process mapping, expert collaboration, and national roundtable events, including¹:

Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute in Minneapolis
Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Baptist Memorial Hospital Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee
East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, Louisiana
Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey
JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas
Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina
Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon
Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens, Georgia
Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri
The Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska
University of California San Diego in La Jolla, California
University of Chicago Medicine in Chicago
University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City
Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut

REFERENCES

1. Bridging critical gaps in advanced heart failure care. News release. American Heart Association. January 27, 2024. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/bridging-critical-gaps-in-advanced-heart-failure-care

2. Cardiology experts warn of rising heart failure rates and worsening disparities in new 2024 report. News release. Heart Failure Society of America. September 24, 2024. Accessed January 28, 2025. https://hfsa.org/cardiology-experts-warn-rising-heart-failure-rates-and-worsening-disparities-new-2024-report

3. Anderson SL, Marrs JC. A Review of the Role of the Pharmacist in Heart Failure Transition of Care. Adv Ther. 2018;35(3):311-323. doi:10.1007/s12325-018-0671-7

4. Beauchesne ABM, Koshman SL, Beavers CJ, Gorman SK, Turgeon RD. Defining pharmacist activities in ambulatory heart failure clinics: North American survey and modified Delphi study. Clinical Pharmacy Research Report. 2023 July 5. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1855