Search for: [Abstract = "Aim\: The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic practices used in HF patients followed in outpatient clinics in Poland. Methods and results\: The survey was performed in Poland between Apr and Dec 2005 in randomly chosen primary care \(N= 400\) and cardiologic \(N= 396\) outpatient clinics. The questionnaire aimed to identify HF patients of New York Heart Association \(NYHA\) class from I to IV. In total 3980 HF patients were included. Questionnaire\-based assessment of diagnostic procedures and pharmacotherapy was performed by trained nurses. Mean patient age was 67 ± 11.8 years, 58% were male. HF was diagnosed using echocardiography more often by specialists, in male, younger patients, in urban areas. The patients were treated with ACEI \(85%\), \-blockers \(77%\), diuretics \(75%\), spironolacton \(50%\), digitalis \(30%\), AT\-1 receptor blockers \(3%\). There were differences in drug prescription practices according to patient age and gender, community size, NYHA class and concomitant diseases. Specialists’ patients were more commonly treated with ACEI, \-blockers and spironolactone compared to primary care units, and were more often subjected to invasive cardiovascular procedures. Conclusions\: Cardiologists seemed to provide higher quality care of HF patients, more adherent to guidelines compared to primary care doctors in Poland. Although improvement in HF management would be possible with streamlining information flow between different levels of care, it should be emphasized that significant progress in HF management has occurred in Poland compared to previous studies."]

Number of results: 0