NPS MedicineWise in collaboration with the National Heart Foundation of Australia is offering a program to help GPs manage patients with heart failure.
Heart failure is a complex event, currently leading to high rates of mortality and hospital readmissions. According to NPS Medicine between 1-2% of the Australian population suffers from heart failure, a condition that kills about 50 people every day, according to the National Heart Foundation of Australia.
Effective management of patients with heart disease can be challenging for many GPs, but there are clear guidelines in place to help with the efficient treatment of patients in primary care.
With these issues in mind, MedicineWise and the National Heart Foundation of Australia are offering a multifaceted program to help GPs manage patients with chronic heart failure.
About the program
The educational visit is 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.
The visits are available in three different formats:
- 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.
The specific learning outcomes include training GPs to:
- 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.
Interested? Here are the details
Website: Heart failure: an active role for GPs and patients – NPS MedicineWise
Cost: Free
Accreditation: The One-on-one discussion and the Small group meeting has been approved accreditation from the RACGP CPD Program (2 points) and the ACRRM PD Program (1 hour).
For a visit: Request a visit – NPS MedicineWise