Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies 1410 JACC April 5, 2016 Volume 67, Issue 13 USING TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE READMISSION RATES FOR CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE IN HIGH RISK PATIENTS Poster Contributions Poster Area, South Hall A1 Sunday, April 03, 2016, 9:45 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Session Title: Acute Heart Failure: From Door to Discharge and Back Again Abstract Category: 26. Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies: Clinical Presentation Number: 1171-052 Authors: Lou Vadlamani, Kelley Anderson, Seema Kumar, Avera St. Lukes, Aberdeen, SD, USA Background: Congestive heart failure remains a major reason for readmissions for certain high risk patients. Some of these readmissions can be lowered with aggressive follow up and close monitoring of certain high risk patients. Unfortunately, given limited resources it is often challenging to provide the attention and follow-up needed to tackle this challenge. Methods: We selected patients with a history of 30 day readmissions within the last 6 months for CHF. At the time of discharge (3rd admission for CHF within 6 months), these patients were scheduled to see their primary cardiologist within one week; also, they were asked if they would be willing to receive a daily automated call asking 7 questions. Patients who agreed were enrolled in the study. These patients received daily calls which asked a series of questions. Based on their responses, they were categorized into high risk - those with an impending presentation to the emergency room within 24 hours; intermediate risk - those that had some clinical deterioration since discharge; and low risk- patients who were stable. The high risk patients were seen the next day; intermediate risk patients - had a telemedicine evaluation within 24 hours; low risk continues with daily phone calls. Patients were followed for 30 days. The “control group” was assigned to “usual care” as prescribed by the admitting cardiologist /b> Results: Over a 4 month period, out of 83 patients who met criteria, we enrolled 43 were randomized to receive the “aggressive” follow up and 40 to “usual care”. Of the 43 patients in the “aggressive” follow-up group, 2 (4.65%) were re-admitted within 30 days for CHF. In the “usual care” group of 40 patients, 7 (17.5%) were readmitted for CHF Conclusions: In our small study, using technology to identify and assess “at risk” patients, we were able to significantly reduce 30 day readmissions. While it would be ideal to have every patient seen frequently in the office, it is inherently infeasible given the limited resources at our disposal. However, our protocol could possibly identify and assess patients and preempt a hospital admission, while using limited resources effectively and efficiently. Title ABC/123 Version X 1 Introduction The article that has been selected to discuss research steps, methods, and how those steps were used to get the findings of the study. The article is a research study that was done to find a way to keep c ...

1. Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies
1410
JACC April 5, 2016
Volume 67, Issue 13
USING TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE READMISSION RATES
FOR CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE IN
HIGH RISK PATIENTS
Poster Contributions
Poster Area, South Hall A1
Sunday, April 03, 2016, 9:45 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Session Title: Acute Heart Failure: From Door to Discharge and
Back Again
Abstract Category: 26. Heart Failure and Cardiomyopathies:
Clinical
Presentation Number: 1171-052
Authors: Lou Vadlamani, Kelley Anderson, Seema Kumar,
Avera St. Lukes, Aberdeen, SD, USA
Background: Congestive heart failure remains a major reason
for readmissions for certain high risk patients. Some of these
readmissions
can be lowered with aggressive follow up and close monitoring
of certain high risk patients. Unfortunately, given limited
resources it is often
challenging to provide the attention and follow-up needed to
tackle this challenge.
Methods: We selected patients with a history of 30 day

2. readmissions within the last 6 months for CHF. At the time of
discharge (3rd
admission for CHF within 6 months), these patients were
scheduled to see their primary cardiologist within one week;
also, they were
asked if they would be willing to receive a daily automated call
asking 7 questions. Patients who agreed were enrolled in the
study. These
patients received daily calls which asked a series of questions.
Based on their responses, they were categorized into high risk -
those
with an impending presentation to the emergency room within
24 hours; intermediate risk - those that had some clinical
deterioration
since discharge; and low risk- patients who were stable. The
high risk patients were seen the next day; intermediate risk
patients - had a
telemedicine evaluation within 24 hours; low risk continues
with daily phone calls. Patients were followed for 30 days. The
“control group”
was assigned to “usual care” as prescribed by the admitting
cardiologist /b>
Results: Over a 4 month period, out of 83 patients who met
criteria, we enrolled 43 were randomized to receive the
“aggressive” follow up
and 40 to “usual care”. Of the 43 patients in the “aggressive”
follow-up group, 2 (4.65%) were re-admitted within 30 days for
CHF. In the
“usual care” group of 40 patients, 7 (17.5%) were readmitted
for CHF
Conclusions: In our small study, using technology to identify
and assess “at risk” patients, we were able to significantly
reduce 30
day readmissions. While it would be ideal to have every patient
seen frequently in the office, it is inherently infeasible given
the limited

3. resources at our disposal. However, our protocol could possibly
identify and assess patients and preempt a hospital admission,
while using
limited resources effectively and efficiently.
Title
ABC/123 Version X
1
Introduction
The article that has been selected to discuss research steps,
methods, and how those steps were used to get the findings of
the study. The article is a research study that was done to find a
way to keep congestive heart failure patients from having to
readmitted 30 days after discharge. The patients that were are
apart of the study were considered to be high risk and were
given more information and close monitoring compared to lower
risk patients.
Research Steps
The research steps taken were to identify what the problem was
the researchers wanted to conduct their study on and design
their research project. The researchers then had to start the
study and collect all data. The data was interpreted and used to
conclude their study. They then shared the research data and
their findings with others so that everyone would have the same
information; also helps if someone is looking at conducting a
similar study.
The Problem
Patients being readmitted to the hospital after discharge for
congestive heart failure. This is a problem because patients are
having complications that could be caught with more follow -up
care than they normally would receive. The research is trying to
fix the problem of high-risk patients having complications that

4. land them back in the hospital that could have been resolved
before the patient having to be readministered. This problem is
important for health care administrators to study because they
need to know why patients are being readministered and if there
are ways to better the hospital care to prevent it. Administrators
should be observant of what is happening in the hospital and
finding ways to improve upon the care that patients are
receiving to better their experiences.
The Purpose
The purpose of this study is to find ways to better reach,
educate, and classify patients who have been discharged from
the hospital with congestive heart failure. The study wants to
see if doing these things more often throughout the 30 days
after discharge leads to less readmissions to the hospital. The
author wants to see if using technology to reach the patients is
beneficial for this so that when limited resources are available
in doctors’ offices patients are still getting the education and
follow-up care they need.
The Variables
The study was to see if more follow-up care and close
monitoring would lessen the number of patients readmitted. The
independent variable would be the follow-up care and close
monitoring. The patients in low to high-risk categories and were
or were not readmitted would be the dependent variables.
The Question/Hypothesis
The hypothesis presented in the article was: “Congestive heart
failure remains a major reason for certain high risk patients.
Some of these readmissions can be lowered with aggressive
follow up and close monitoring of certain high risk patients”
(Vadlamani et al., 2016). The answer to the hypothesis was that
with the use of technology readmissions within 30 days of
discharge was reduced. The hypothesis is accepted because the
answer confirms what the researchers thought would happen.
Research Methodology Design and Analyses
Methodology

5. Population
Sampling Method
Length of the Study
Data Collection
Statistical Analysis
Findings
Findings of this study
Did the Author address the Question/Hypothesis
Conclusion
Recommendations
Relevancy
Health Care Usage

6. References
Vadlamani, L., Anderson, K., & Kumar, S. (2016, April). Using
technology to reduce readmission rates for congestive heart
failure in high risk patients. Journal of the American College of
Cardiology, 67(13), 1410. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0735-
1097(16)31411-5
Copyright © XXXX by University of Phoenix. All rights
reserved.
Title
ABC/123 Version X
1
Complete the following worksheet. Remember to delete the
examples provided as you compose a response to each prompt.
Research Steps
1. Define the problem.
a. What is the problem identified in your chosen article?
Example: the Ebola outbreak and its prevalence in West African
nations
b. Why is it a problem?
Example: Ebola is a disease that is contracted from… Its
symptoms are… (x) amount of people die each year… This is a
problem because…

7. c. What is the problem that the article or study is trying to
resolve?
Example: Ebola has spread among the West African people
because of… This research seeks to identify solutions that will
prevent it from spreading among the African people.
d. Why is the problem important for health care administrators
to study?
The research article may not identify a specific reason the
research is important to health care administrators. That is okay.
Write about why a health care administrator would want to
study this topic. How could knowledge of this topic help you as
a health care administrator?
Example: As an assistant manager of a nursing home, I know
that many of the residents have watched the news reports on the
Ebola outbreak in Africa and its potential outbreak in the
United States. Because I know little about the disease and
knowing the concern that the reporting of this disease has
brought on the residents of the nursing home, I felt that it was
my responsibility to know more about the disease and how to
prevent its spread. Providing the residents with this knowledge
can go a long way toward calming their fears and enabling them
and their caregivers to take measures to prevent any outbreak.
2. Identify the purpose.
a. What is the purpose of the study?
b. What is the author trying to accomplish in this paper?
If the answers to these questions are not expressly stated in the
article, consider its entirety and then write what you think the
answers are.
Example: The purpose of the study was to create awareness of
the Ebola outbreak, to provide statistical data to give an
accurate account of the scope of the outbreak, and to identify
known methods to minimize exposure, recognize symptoms, and
prevent outbreaks.
3. What are the study variables?
a. What are the independent and dependent study variables?
Independent variables represent 'inputs' and can have any value.

8. Dependent variables represent 'outputs' or 'effects.'
Example: The study collected data that observed changes in the
number of people becoming infected by the Ebola virus by
varying amounts of education/awareness being facilitated by the
American Red Cross. The amount of education/awareness given
by the American Red Cross is the independent variable while
the number of people who were or were not infected after public
awareness efforts is the dependent variable.
4. Identify the research question and/or hypothesis.
a. Was a research question or hypothesis provided in the article?
If so, what? If not, why?
b. What was the answer to the research question? Was the
hypothesis accepted or rejected?
Example: The initial research question may be: What is the
prevalence of Ebola in the West African nations after a new
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocol was
implemented? The research explains in depth the living
conditions that exist in the West African nations and why the
disease is so prevalent. It further identifies and explains
existing research conducted by the CDC that confirms the
medical community awareness of the disease and established
protocol to prevent it. The hypothesis can be: There is no
statistically significant difference in Ebola prevalence after the
CDC protocol was implemented.
Research Methodology, Design, and Analyses
1. Was the research qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods?
Explain.
2. What population or sample was studied?
3. What was the sampling method and type?
4. How long did the study take?
5. How was the data collected?
6. What type of statistical analysis was used?
Example: The research used quantitative data collected by the
American Red Cross, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), and National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases. Data collection occurred over a five-year

9. period with help from six West African governments. The data
tracked 100 residents from each country and monitored the
spread of the disease among the citizens. Data analyses
analyzed disease prevalence for decreases. Depending on Ebola
prevalence, the research question can be answered. If Ebola
prevalence decreased after implementing the CDC protocol, the
hypothesis would be rejected.
Findings
1. What were the findings?
2. Were the research questions or hypotheses addressed?
Conclusion
1. What were the recommendations?
2. Are the findings relevant to consumers or health care
professionals or both?
3. How could you as a health care administrator use the
information within this article?
Example: The reporting of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa
caused global panic, but also brought awareness of its cause and
measure that can be taken to prevent its spread. The research
conducted… As a health care administrator, I can use the
information to…
Cite the peer-reviewed article you selected for this assignment.
Format your reference section and references used in your
prompts according to APA guidelines.
Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.
Copyright © XXXX by University of Phoenix. All rights
reserved.