Heart failure is a clinical syndrome, or a collection of symptoms, that indicate the heart is not able to pump enough blood to meet the body's energy demands. Heart failure typically develops slowly after injury to the heart, such as a heart attack, too much strain on the heart due to years of untreated high blood pressure or a diseased heart valve. As the heart muscle weakens, it needs to pump harder to keep blood flowing to the body. 

As with many diseases, early diagnosis and treatment are critical to achieving positive outcomes for the patient. Recommended diagnostic testing is focused on assessment of left ventricular function, however, this has been shown to be widely under-utilized. Best-practice care is focused on the use of ACE inhibitors, smoking cessation counseling and clear and complete discharge instructions; including symptom recognition and reporting. Providing the right care to patients with heart failure promotes optimal outcomes.

Healthcare organizations recently launched a coalition, Alliance for Cardiac Care Excellence (ACE), to improve cardiac care nationwide. ACE coalition members will work to bridge the gap between the nationally accepted standards of care, clinical procedures and treatments proven to be effective and the actual care many adult cardiac patients currently receive.

For quality improvement resources and strategies, please visit the Heart Failure Documents and Links sections.