How to improve care for patients with heart failure? Challenges in the health system and the role of education

During the Heart Failure Awareness Week conference, experts addressed key topics related to patient care, medical education, and innovative solutions in the healthcare system. Attention was drawn to the need for better cooperation between hospital facilities and primary care, as well as the need to counteract disinformation on the internet and the growing importance of new technologies in monitoring patient health.

Dr. Agnieszka Gorgoń-Komor emphasized during the Conference that it is crucial to reduce the number of hospitalizations through better education of both doctors and patients, and the implementation of evidence-based medicine. She drew attention to the dangers of disinformation on the Internet, which can undermine medical authority and lead to a deterioration in the health of patients.

In the context of the development of the healthcare system, Gorgoń-Komor noted that one of the priorities is supporting innovative technological solutions, such as mobile applications, which can help patients in their daily health monitoring. According to her, new technologies are an essential tool in educating and monitoring people with heart failure, who – with appropriate therapy – can lead a normal life, fulfill their dreams and work.

She also stressed the importance of cooperation with politicians and officials to create legal regulations that will ensure the patient's central role in the health care system. In her opinion, sensitizing decision-makers to the problems related to heart failure is crucial for this disease to become a priority in health policy.

It is these factors that lead to the development of circulatory system diseases, including coronary heart disease, which often ends in a heart attack or chronic ischemia, and consequently, to heart damage and the development of heart failure.

Professor Rubiś also notes that in Poland the system for treating acute heart attacks and revascularization is at a high level, which translates into better prognosis for patients, but not everything can be fully controlled. This is particularly true for patients with heart failure resulting from dilated cardiomyopathy, which develops in younger people, often aged 20-40. This disease can be hereditary and tends to progress, which means that patients with this condition have heart failure throughout their lives, although appropriate therapy can control it.

It is also worth adding that in the context of the development of heart failure, infections, including myocarditis, which have intensified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and during periods of increased influenza incidence, pose a certain risk. Professor Rubiś draws attention to alcohol as one of the risk factors, especially in young people who do not have a long history of alcohol abuse, but who develop alcoholic dilated cardiomyopathy. In these patients, complete abstinence from alcohol can significantly improve their health, although it does not always result in full recovery.

Dr. Aleksander Biesiada pointed out the significant challenges that patients face after being discharged from hospital, especially in the context of continuing care in the primary health care system (PHC). Much depends on where the patient ends up after hospitalization.

Dr Biesiada emphasises that IT systems that should support this data exchange still do not work effectively enough, which limits the activities of family doctors in caring for patients.

The second issue is inequality in access to coordinated healthcare. Although the primary healthcare system has gained new opportunities since 2022, and coordinated care has become more accessible, not all primary healthcare clinics offer the full range of such services. The lack of cooperation between cardiologists and primary healthcare teams can be a significant barrier to providing comprehensive care.

In order for patients to fully benefit from post-hospital care, it is essential to continuously improve the competences of healthcare teams – both doctors and nurses. Patient education, including learning how to monitor their own health, modify pharmacotherapy and recognize symptoms that require intervention, can help avoid further hospitalizations and disease exacerbations.

Dr. Biesiada emphasized that EU funds dedicated to improving the competences of primary health care workers are also important and could be used to improve the quality of patient care.