Examining the Burden of Potentially Avoidable Heart Failure Hospitalizations

Abstract

Marya D Zilberberg,1 Brian H Nathanson,2 Kate Sulham,3 John F Mohr,3 Matthew Goodwin,3 Andrew F Shorr4 1EviMed Research Group, LLC, Goshen, MA, USA; 2OptiStatim, LLC, Longmeadow, MA, USA; 3scPharmaceuticals, Burlington, MA, USA; 4Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USACorrespondence: Marya D Zilberberg, Department of Health Services Research, EviMed Research Group, LLC, PO Box 303, Goshen, MA, 01032, USA, Email [email protected]: Two-thirds of the 1 million annual US CHF hospitalizations are for diuresis only; some may be avoidable. We describe a population of low-severity short-stay ( 2. We compared baseline characteristics, processes of care, and outcomes in low-severity (CHF-L) to CHF-H.Results: Among 301,672 short-stay CHF patients, 135,304 (44.8%) were CHF-L. Compared to CHF-H, CHF-L was younger (70.5 ± 14.1 vs 72.1 ± 13.6 years, p < 0.001), more commonly female (48.6% vs 45.8%, p < 0.001), and more likely to receive IV ACE-I/ARB agents (0.5% vs 0.4%, p = 0.003). Most other IV medications were more common in CHF-H, and anticoagulation was the most prevalent non-diuretic IV therapy in both groups (23.8% vs 33.3%, p < 0.001). Hospital mortality (0.2% vs 1.5%, p < 0.001) and CHF-related 30-day readmissions (8.1% vs 10.5%, p < 0.001) were lower in CHF-L than CHF-H.Conclusion: Among short-stay CHF patients, nearly ½ meet criteria for CHF-L, and are mainly admitted for fluid management. Avoiding these admissions could result in substantial savings.Keywords: congestive heart failure, epidemiology, outcomes, hospital, costs

Keywords

• congestive heart failure
• epidemiology
• outcomes
• hospital
• costs