The following is a summary of “Patient Awareness of Heart Failure Diagnosis: A Community Study,” published in the November 2023 issue of Cardiology by Shropshire et al.

Heart failure (HF) stands as a multifaceted condition contributing significantly to hospitalizations, fatalities, and substantial healthcare expenses annually. However, within the HF patient population, there exists an underexplored aspect: a lack of awareness about their HF diagnosis.

To address this, a prospective survey was conducted among residents from three counties in southeast Minnesota, encompassing individuals diagnosed with HF using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revisions (ICD‐9 and ICD‐10) codes between January 1, 2013, and March 31, 2016 (N=2461). From the returned surveys (response rate, 45%), 787 patients were verified to have HF through medical records, with a mean age of 76 years and comprising 53% men. Astonishingly, only 37% (n=293) of these patients were aware of their HF diagnosis. When adjusted for various factors, several insights emerged. Being female (odds ratio [OR], 1.56 [95% CI, 1.10–2.22]), experiencing HF with reduced ejection fraction (OR, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.13–2.22]), attending specialized HF clinics (OR, 4.07 [95% CI, 2.25–7.36]), and having coronary artery disease (OR, 1.65 [95% CI, 1.16–2.37]) were associated with higher awareness of HF diagnosis. Conversely, a diabetes diagnosis was linked with reduced awareness of the HF diagnosis (adjusted OR, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.50–0.95]).

The findings revealed alarmingly low levels of awareness regarding HF diagnosis within this community-based HF patient cohort. Addressing this issue could significantly enhance patient self-care behaviors and overall outcomes in individuals affected by HF. Strategies aimed at improving patient understanding and acknowledgment of their diagnosis should be implemented as a crucial step toward better HF management.

Source: ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.122.029284