Abstract
Objective
Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome that affects nearly 64 million individuals globally. Frequent hospital readmissions lead to poor health outcomes, impact quality of life (QoL), and are associated with high mortality rates. This study assessed readmissions, mortality, and QoL outcomes in patients with HF in a tertiary care hospital setting.
Methods
Patients aged ≥18 years with HF, who visited the tertiary care hospital in Karad, India were included in the study (November 2019 to October 2021). Demographics, disease characteristics, and condition at discharge were recorded using the medical records of patients. The quantitative data included readmission rates and mortality rates. The qualitative aspects describing patients’ QoL were assessed using a patient-reported 21-question QoL questionnaire.
Results
A total of 98 patients, predominantly male (63.3%), with a mean age of 62.9 years were included. The majority of the patients (80.6%) required <15 days of hospitalization. The 2-year readmission rate was 24.4%, while the mortality rate was 43.9%. Self-care pattern showed that patients seemed to be taking mild to average care while taking good care was rare. The QoL data showed that 22.4% were living a good quality life, 44.9% average, while 32.7% were living a low-quality life. Better education and better self-care were associated with a low rate of readmission.
Conclusions
We were able to assess the incidence of readmission, mortality, and QoL in patients with HF in a tertiary care hospital setting. The study showed that HF impacts patients’ physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing.