Innovative strategy for implementing chronic heart failure guidelines among family physicians in different healthcare settings in Berlin.

Aims: The aim of this study was to improve drug therapy for chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.

Methods And Results: This prospective interventional pilot study was performed with cross-sectional comparative analysis before and after the intervention. Usual pharmacotherapy was observed for 8 months in two different outpatient healthcare settings in Berlin [11 family physicians from individual GP (IGP) practices and 12 working in a medical care centre (MCC)].

[Are there any differences in guideline adherence to pharmacotherapy of heart failure between individual GP practices and Medical Care Centres (MCCs)?].

Background: Chronic heart failure is one of the most important cardiovascular diseases. Patients with this common disease are primarily treated by general practitioners (GPs). Previous research showed deficits in drug therapy.