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Chronic heart failure (referred to hereafter as heart failure, HF) remains a major public health issue in Australia, placing a significant burden on both healthcare resources and patients' quality of life. With a high prevalence, rising incidence, and significant morbidity and mortality, the need for improved management HF, particularly in terms of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT), is urgent.
However, while diagnostic advancements are beneficial, the key issue lies in how patients are subsequently managed once HF is diagnosed. This highlights the need for more effective, guideline-compliant treatment strategies to improve outcomes.
Learning outcomes
After completing this education module, participants will be able to:
- Assess the impact of morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden associated with HF, including the high rates of hospitalisation, rehospitalisation, and the significant economic costs, emphasising the need for improved management and adherence to guidelines
- Describe the key components of GDMT for HF (including ACE inhibitors, ARNIs, beta-blockers, MRAs, and SGLT2 inhibitors) and discuss their proven benefits in reducing mortality and hospitalisations in patients with HFrEF and HFpEF
- Identify common barriers to the effective implementation of GDMT in clinical practice, including under-prescription, patient-related factors, and systemic challenges, and explore strategies to overcome these barriers
- Interpret the role of BNP and NT-proBNP testing to aid in diagnosing heart failure, particularly in non-hospital settings, and outline how these tests can reduce unnecessary echocardiograms, improving diagnostic efficiency and cost-effectiveness
- Apply evidence-based guidelines for the management of HF in clinical practice, including the appropriate use of pharmacological treatments based on ejection fraction to optimise patient care and outcomes.
This Online Course is endorsed by ACN according to our Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Endorsed Course Standards. It has been allocated 1CPD hours according to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia – Continuing Professional Development Standard. It will take approximately 5 hours to complete.
Other healthcare professionals can still enrol and complete this course. You will receive a certificate upon completion.
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If you do not already have an account with Arterial Education, you will be required to create one. This verifies that you are a healthcare professional and allows you to log your learning activities.
