Educational visit

Managing heart failure is complex. High rates of mortality and hospital readmission make this a challenging condition for patients and their GPs. But there are clear principles to support effective management in primary care. 

This educational visit is part of a multifaceted program designed to: 

• support GPs in the early diagnosis and classification of heart failure 
• provide clinical guidance on initiation and ongoing management of medicines 
• empower patients with effective self-management strategies to improve their quality of life.

Educational visits are available as:

• One-on-one: a 30-minute in-practice discussion for GPs, tailored to individual learning needs.
• Small group: a 1-hour group discussion for GPs, pharmacists and nurses.
• Virtual visits: via video call. Available to support practices who wish to continue educational activities without a face-to-face appointment.

All visits will comply with current state and territory regulations for social distancing.

Learning outcomes for educational visits:

• Assess people with suspected heart failure and refer for echocardiogram when required to help confirm diagnosis and guide management.

• Apply Australian guideline recommendations to up-titrate heart failure medicines to target or maximum tolerated doses for people with heart failure reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) to reduce hospitalisations and save lives.

• Create a management plan with patients which includes non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatments for heart failure and any co-morbidities, to improve patient outcomes.

• Review and deprescribe, where possible, potentially harmful medicines to reduce cardiac risk and exacerbation of heart failure.

• Evaluate patients with heart failure who would benefit from referral to support/specialist services to improve medicines up-titration and adherence, and reduce rehospitalisations.