Small medical teams who already treat HF patients travel to one of 33 host sites and meet with clinicians who specialize in heart failure to share their clinical challenges and experiences in the management of heart failure. Curriculum is uniquely tailored to the specific learning needs of each small medical team-whether the cardiac specialist or the general practitioner.

Here small medical teams learn about optimal approaches to heart failure through highly interactive lecture, observation and hands-on participation.

These teams also receive materials that support implementation of a heart failure disease management program designed to improve both clinical and economic outcomes. For three months following the site visit, they can consult with host site faculty to implement new ideas and practices learned in the program. Host site faculty make three follow-up contacts to discuss the strategies and challenges encountered since the site visit.

Click for sample agendas for:

II. Family Medicine Resident Training Program

N-HeFT in partnership with Family Medicine at CASE developed heart failure training interwoven in the three year program for faculty and residents.

Training Utilizes

A spiraling approach for educational content and clinical skill
Heart failure interactive lectures and case studies
Clinical practice
Evaluation of all levels of training

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III. Nurse Advocate for Patient Care

The role of Advocate for HF patients was developed to address these important challenges

High cost of hospitalization
Poor post-discharge follow up
High rates of 30-day readmission
Inadequate prescription and titration of medications
Limited patient education for self care
Poor communication between providers

A basic curriculum includes physiology, diagnosis and management of HF, Practice Guidelines, communication, end-of-life decision making and palliative care to support the following activities of the HF Advocates:

1. Maintain a sizeable caseload of HF patients at high risk for hospital readmission and death that includes providing aggressive post-discharge follow up.

2. Build effective and influential relationships with MDs, RNs, and administrators at every point of care to improve use of evidence-based decision-making for HF patients.

3. Evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of existing systems of HF care.

4. Participate in planning and convening of HF educational and quality improvement forums.

Click here to learn more about the program

IV. One or two day Group training without a preceptorship

The training is designed for larger groups such as nursing home staff, home health groups, medical science liaisons etc. who may not interested in visiting the hospital or heart failure clinic. Training is tailored to the specific needs of each team. Some examples of possible activities include the list below:

Patient panel
Faculty panel
Guided standardized patient
Strategic planning opportunity
Telemanagement training
Workshop on setting up a heart failure program

Click here for sample agenda

V. Online Curriculum click here

The website will host presentations by heart failure experts and complements the live courses by supplementing resources and increasing the scope and distribution of training. Online curriculum also incorporates new areas of training for geriatric specialists, home care professionals, nurses and residents in general and family medicine. It includes the following:

Assessment
- True and False, multiple choice: basic science and clinical knowledge
- Case presentations: diagnosis and therapeutic approaches
- Evaluation of training
- Self -assessment
Audio and slides
Regular updates by editorial team
Email connection to network of experts
Continuing education credit