HeartLife Foundation Unveils Comprehensive Policy Framework to Improve Heart Failure Care in Canada
VANCOUVER, BC, Nov. 7, 2023 /CNW/ - The HeartLife Foundation, a national patient-led charity, has launched a groundbreaking policy framework aimed at transforming the landscape of heart failure (HF) care in Canada. Titled "Heart Failure Policy Framework: A National Action Plan for Change", this initiative seeks to equip decision-makers with the necessary tools to enhance patient outcomes and alleviate the financial strain on the healthcare system.
Heart failure is an unmitigated health crisis in Canada. Over 750,000 people live with heart failure in Canada, growing year over year, claiming thousands of lives annually and significantly diminishing the quality of life for patients and costing the system. HF is a leading cause of hospitalization only behind COVID-19 and giving birth, so it is no wonder projections estimate associated HF costs to reach $2.8 billion per year by 2030.
Despite advancements in diagnostic and management tools, the delivery of effective, patient-centric care remains fraught with challenges.
"I've had heart failure since my early twenties, went through misdiagnosis, delayed and improper treatment firsthand, worsening my health and at one point leaving me hospitalized for a month," said Marc Bains, Co-Founder of the HeartLife Foundation. "We can improve the way we deliver care. We have the tools we need and this framework is a call to action for decision-makers to ensure no person in Canada has to endure the preventable hardships of heart failure due to mis-or-delayed diagnosis and substandard care."
Conducted in partnership with the Institute of Health Economics of Alberta, The HeartLife Foundation's framework builds on its 2022 Patient & Caregiver Charter, addressing these critical issues head-on. Over a dozen patient, physician and research groups have endorsed the framework to date.
- Diagnosis & Screening: Provide and reimburse natriuretic peptide testing for all patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of HF, alongside timely access to imaging like echocardiogram.
- Management & Care: Ensure patients with HF receive all four guideline-directed medications within 3 to 6 months from their initial diagnosis, standardize care protocols, have access to a multidisciplinary care team, mental health support, and standardized care protocols.
- Research & Evaluation: Establish national HF registry, engage stakeholders in HF research, define key performance indicators, and mandate performance reporting to foster accountability.
"Implementing the recommendations will improve patient outcomes and reduce health care costs, all while enhancing transparency and accountability in care delivery," says Max Monahan-Ellison, health policy strategist and advisor to the HLF. "Research in the framework highlights simple interventions like improved testing implementation and access to available treatments could save the health care system hundreds of millions of dollars annually while extending and improving the lives of patients."
"There is no time to wait," adds HeartLife Foundation Co-Founder Dr. Jillianne Code who lives with HF. "Provincial and federal leadership must implement the framework recommendations. We will be taking the framework across Canada to collaborate with decision-makers to move forward impactful change, and everyday people can help."
Visit Heartlife.ca/Framework for more information, to endorse the framework and share on social media to show your support.
About HeartLife Foundation
The HeartLife Foundation is Canada's first – and only – national patient-led heart failure charity, raising public awareness of heart failure, engaging patients, families, and caregivers to provide education and support, facilitating access to the latest research, innovations and treatments, and advocating for better care for all.
SOURCE HeartLife Foundation
Media Contact: Emilia [at] swaystrat.com
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