Patterns of scheduled follow-up appointments following hospitalization for heart failure: insights from an urban medical center in the United States.

Objectives: Although postdischarge outpatient follow-up appointments after a hospitalization for heart failure represent a potentially effective strategy to prevent heart failure readmissions, patterns of scheduled follow-up appointments upon discharge are poorly described. We aimed to characterize real-world patterns of scheduled follow-up appointments among adult patients with heart failure upon hospital discharge.

Patients And Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study performed at a large urban academic center in the United States among adults hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of congestive heart failure between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014.