National standardised pathways and models of care for heart failure

The National Clinical Programme for Heart Failure (NCP for HF)¹ is a national standardised pathway and model of care for the patient journey in HF, jointly authored by professional medical bodies and the Irish Government’s Health Service Executive Directorate of Clinical Strategy and Programmes. The NCP for HF calls for several key improvements in quality, access and costs of HF care.

The programme aims to roll out a coordinated, multidisciplinary and patient-focused disease management programme to improve the management of heart failure patients in Ireland.

Key areas for improvement include:¹

• structured and coordinated disease management for every person with heart failure
• better prevention of heart failure
• timely and accurate heart failure diagnostics
• reduction of recurrent hospital admissions and the length of hospital stay.

What has it achieved?

The programme’s achievements so far include:²

• development of a model of care document
• set up of heart failure units in seven hospitals in 2011
• the development of clinical data sets and a portal to report and record data
• activities to improve heart failure care in communities
• activities with the Pharmacist and Medicines Management Group.

Links, references and key reading

1. Health Service Executive Ireland. National Clinical Programme for Heart Failure. Secondary National Clinical Programme for Heart Failure. http://www.hse.ie/heartfailureprogramme
2. McDonald K, Black R. Heart Failure Programme – Update March 2012. Secondary Heart Failure Programme – Update March 2012 2012. http://www.hse.ie/eng/about/Who/clinical/natclinprog/heartfailureprogramme/hf.pdf