Patients had little knowledge about their illness and life-extending treatments, but physicians also were not accurate when prognosticating.
Patients with advanced heart failure (HF) face high-stakes decisions about advanced therapies such as ventricular assist devices (VADs) or cardiac transplantation. Ideally, such decisions would be driven by an informed patient's values and supported by their care team. These researchers ascertained physicians' and patients' perceptions of prognosis and patients' values in 161 patients (mean age, 59; 68% men) with advanced HF, previous-year hospitalization, and at least one additional high-risk factor (high natriuretic peptide level, poor functional status, high Seattle Heart Failure score, or a second prior hospitalization).
Physicians deemed 69% of the cohort at high risk for death, VAD placement, or transplant, whereas 14% of patients deem…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardBristol Myers Squibb; CPC Clinical Research
Grant/Research SupportNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; American College of Cardiology Self-Assessment Program (SAP)
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican College of Cardiology (Chair, Innovations Committee)
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardBristol Myers Squibb; CPC Clinical Research
Grant/Research SupportNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Editorial BoardsUpToDate; American College of Cardiology Self-Assessment Program (SAP)
Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican College of Cardiology (Chair, Innovations Committee)