Palliative care needs in patients with heart failure

Palliative care needs in patients with heart failure

Heart failure is a debilitating condition which is especially common in elderly people. In late stage heart failure, symptoms get worse, and the person’s quality of life deteriorates as they struggle to breathe and develop declining kidney function. This study will pave the way for better pathways of care for people with heart failure and their caregivers, as they near the end of their life. Professor John McMurray and colleagues have been awarded a one-year grant to find out how many people hospitalised with late-stage heart failure would benefit from palliative care. The trial will involve questionnaire-based interviews to assess what patients’ current care needs are, how they change over time, and measure the burden placed on caregivers as their loved one approaches the end of their life. The study will also establish how and where people with terminal heart failure die, and compare this information with any choices they made about their care. The findings of this study will help healthcare professionals identify those patients who would benefit from palliative care, and should lead to improvements in the care provided to those with end-stage heart failure.