Specific test panels for patients with heart failure: implementation and use in the Spanish National Health System

Autores de IIS La Fe

• Luis Almenar Bonet

  Autor

• María Begoña Laiz Marro

  Autor

Participantes ajenos a IIS La Fe

• Blasco Peiro, Ma Teresa
• Camafort Babkowski, Miguel
• Buno Soto, Antonio
• Generosa Crespo-Leiro, Andmaria

Grupos

• Grupo de Investigación Clínica y Traslacional en Cardiología

Abstract

Objectives: The use of specific test panels (STP) for heart failure (HF) could help improve the management of this condition. The purpose of this study is to gain an insight into the level of implementation of STPs in the management of HF in Spain and gather the opinions of experts, with a special focus on parameters related to iron metabolism. Methods: The opinions of experts in HF were gathered in three stages STAGE 1 as follows: level of implementation of STPs (n=40). STAGE 2: advantages and disadvantages of STPs (n=12). STAGE 3: level of agreement with the composition of three specific STPs for HF: initial evaluation panel, monitoring panel, and de novo panel (n=16). Results: In total, 62.5% of hospitals used STPs for the clinical management of HF, with no association found between the use of STPs and the level of health care (p=0.132) and location of the center (p=0.486) or the availability of a Heart Failure Unit in the center (p=0.737). According to experts, the use of STPs in clinical practice has more advantages than disadvantages (8 vs. 3), with a notable positive impact on diagnostics. Experts gave three motivations and found three limitations to the implementation of STPs. The composition of the three specific STPs for HF was viewed positively by experts. Conclusions: Although the experts interviewed advocate the use of diagnostic and monitoring STPs for HF, efforts are still necessary to achieve the standardization and homogenization of test panels for HF in Spanish hospitals.

Keywords

• diagnosis; healthcare management; heart failure; iron profile; monitoring; test panels