Using checklist helps to prevent heart failure readmissions

Completing a simple 1-page checklist before discharging heart failure patients goes a long way toward reducing the number of hospital readmissions.

The checklist, developed by Abhijeet Basoor, MD, a fellow in cardiovascular medicine at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan, United States, consists of 27 items covering:

• 10 medications and dose modifications;
• 9 counseling and intervention-monitoring items (eg, smoking cessation and blood pressure); and
• 7 follow-up instructions and scheduling.

Everything on the checklist is derived from evidence-based practices for managing...