The Efficacy of Self-care Behaviors, Educational Interventions, and Follow-up Strategies on Hospital Readmission and Mortality Rates in Patients with Heart Failure.

Heart failure (HF), a worldwide epidemic with significant morbidity and mortality risks, is frequently secondary to cardiovascular disorders and probably is the common final way to survive patients. Almost 25% of hospitalized patients with acute HF are expected to be readmitted within 30 days post-discharge, and the rates of rehospitalization increase to almost one-third at 60 days and 60 percent within one year of discharge. Although care planning for patients with heart failure is complex, multidisciplinary, and resource-dependent, optimal self-care management along with appropriate educational intervention and follow-up strategy could be able to reduce readmissions, decline the duration of hospitalization, increase life expectancy, decrease the rates of mortality, and reduce costs of healthcare services for patients with HF.