Evidence-Based Heart Failure Management Process Implementation at a Residency Teaching Family Medicine Clinic

Background/Purpose: The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Heart Failure Society of America guidelines for management of heart failure were recently updated to include use of sacubitril/valsartan due to its ability to reduce mortality and hospitalizations over the current standard of therapy. Based on these guideline updates, a champion research team at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) Family Medicine Associates worked to create and implement a process that identified patients with systolic heart failure and provided access to medications with mortality and morbidity benefits. The objective of this study is to improve provider knowledge of evidence-based heart failure pharmacotherapy and to assess provider acceptability of a process implemented at ETSU Family Medicine Associates.

Methodology: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. On December 21, 2016 the champion research team presented a didactic session to all providers at ETSU Family Medicine Associates. Immediately prior to the education session, providers completed a pre-education clinical knowledge assessment on heart failure pharmacotherapy. A one-hour didactic session then followed focusing on evidence-based medication management of systolic heart failure and introduction of the new process being implemented. Following the presentation, providers completed a post-education clinical knowledge assessment and a pre-implementation process acceptability survey. Providers were then scheduled to complete a post-implementation process acceptability survey at two months post-process implementation and quarterly thereafter. A McNemars Test will be used to determine if statistically significant differences exist among pre- and post-education clinical knowledge assessments and pre- and post-implementation process acceptability surveys.

Presentation Objective: Discuss the process implemented to improve provider knowledge of heart failure pharmacotherapy and improve patient access to evidence-based pharmacotherapy options.

Self-Assessment: Did the one-hour didactic session improve provider knowledge of heart failure pharmacotherapy?