Heart failure case management effective

STANFORD, Calif., Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Case management using specially trained nurses and dietitians could reduce the risk of heart disease by about 10 percent, a U.S. study found.

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine say case managers could handle many of the counseling and tracking roles currently performed by physicians.

"This really is a feasible alternative to the way that we currently organize healthcare," lead author Dr. Randall Stafford said in a statement. "Case management makes a lot of sense when it comes to chronic disease because you need to have constant contact with patients to pick up on any problems before they get worse."

The heart patients had an average of 14 hours of contact with the case managers during the study period, usually in the form of face-to-face visits. At each visit, the patient and case manager reviewed the patient's progress on lifestyle and medication goals, and developed a plan for the coming weeks.

The study, published in the journal Disease Management, also found the case-management visits cost about $1,250 per patient compared to the cost of a heart attack, which can cost $40,000.