Cristina Enjuanes is a coordinator of the Community Heart Unit at the Hospital de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.
I was drawn to the speciality of heart failure because it’s an exciting field within cardiology – it can involve comprehensive management of all heart diseases. The opportunity to address complex conditions and improve patient outcomes across various cardiopathies makes this area particularly rewarding to work in.
Usually, I spend most of my time coordinating patient care across various healthcare teams. In the clinic, I evaluate and manage heart failure patients at different stages, reviewing diagnostic tests, adjusting treatment plans and providing lifestyle guidance to ensure we deliver comprehensive, personalised care.
In recent years, we have made significant strides in developing integrated, population-based heart failure programmes. These initiatives have effectively reduced adverse events and improved patient outcomes. However, there’s still room for improvement in expanding access to these programmes and enhancing early diagnosis and intervention across all regions.
My motivation stemmed from a desire to contribute to shaping policies that improve heart failure care. Collaborating with experts from all over Europe to advocate for better patient outcomes and ensure access to innovative treatments aligns with my commitment to advancing heart failure management on a broader scale.
I’d like the Network to focus on expanding access to care. To achieve this, it is important to foster international collaboration, share research advances and promote public awareness of heart failure.
I’d like to see global efforts focus on enhancing early detection, as well as rolling out comprehensive prevention strategies. Standardising care protocols and fostering comprehensive public health campaigns are essential for this, to raise awareness and reduce the overall burden of heart failure.
One of the most exciting developments has been personalised medicine for heart failure. Tailoring treatments based on biomarkers or individual genetic profiles holds great promise for improving outcomes and minimising side effects.
Family occupies much of my time outside of work, though I make sure to reserve time for yoga each week to maintain balance and wellbeing.
The Heart Failure Policy Network brings together experts who are united in their passion: to improve outcomes for people living with heart failure.
We share profiles of our members to showcase what led them to work in heart failure, and find out about changes they would like to see in prevention and care.
