Heart failure affects 1 in 50 Australians and is becoming increasingly common. Unfortunately, dangerously low levels of awareness about heart failure are leaving Australians vulnerable to this long-term condition, but with early diagnosis, treatment and lifestyle changes, a person with heart failure can reduce their risk of hospitalisation and improve their quality of life.
Heart Failure Awareness Week aims to:
- Raise awareness about the prevalence of heart failure in Australia
- Educate people about heart failure symptoms, especially among those aged 65 and older, caregivers and healthcare professionals
- Create opportunities to encourage critical conversations about the importance of reform in how heart failure diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management is addressed in Australia.
hearts4heart are also launching Australia’s first Heart Failure Patient & Caregiver Charter with the support of Parliamentary Friends of Heart and Stroke, clinicians, patients and caregivers. The Charter aims to support shared decision-making between patients and clinicians, reduce preventable hospitalisations, and improve the overall quality of life of heart failure patients and caregivers.
And to guide GPs in their response to patients presenting with heart failure symptoms, the hearts4heart Medical Advisory Committee has developed a new tool based on the Australian consensus of the recent European Society of Cardiologists (ESC) heart failure guidelines.
0 Comments