Patient-centered Care Transitions in Heart Failure (PACT-HF): a pragmatic cluster randomized trial

Heart failure (HF) is a serious condition that occurs when the heart does not pump or fill normally. It is the most common cause of hospitalization in older adults. The month after discharge from hospital represents a vulnerable period during which patients are at increased risk worsening symptoms and death. One in five patients are readmitted during this period, which burdens patients and is expensive to the health care system. The goal of the trial is to compare whether a centre-wide patient care model (PACT-HF) will decrease 30-day all-cause readmissions and the 6-month composite endpoint of all-cause Emergency Department (ED) visits, readmission, or death compared to routine care for patients admitted for heart failure. Health care costs and quality of life will also be evaluated.

THE PACT-HF is sponsored by CIHR and Ministry of Health and Long-term Care (MOHLTC) Health Systems Research Fund Capacity Award. The Principal Investigator is Dr. Harriette Van Spall and Dr. Feng Xie is a co-investigator on this project.