October 2024, Acta Medica Bulgaria—the leading peer-reviewed, open-access medical journal of the Medical University Sofia published “Describing Adult Heart Failure Patients – Assessment of Real-Life Data in Two Sites”. This study, co-authored by Sqilline Health and powered by Danny Platform, utilized innovative real-world data analysis to provide a comprehensive evaluation of heart failure patients across two clinical major cardiology sites. It highlights key insights into patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes in real-world settings.
Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a major global health issue, causing high rates of hospitalization and mortality. The management of heart failure varies significantly depending on ejection fraction (EF) categories—reduced (HFrEF) or preserved (HFpEF). This retrospective study focuses on real-world data (RWD) to describe the profiles of adult HF patients, their treatment patterns, comorbidities, and outcomes across two clinical sites. The analysis was powered by Danny Platform, which provided detailed insights into patient care.
Key Summary Points:
Objectives:
- To assess the demographic and clinical characteristics of HF patients in real-world clinical settings using data processed, structured and analyzed by Danny Platform.
- To evaluate treatment patterns, comorbidities, and hospital outcomes for patients with reduced and preserved ejection fraction.
- To highlight gaps in heart failure management and suggest potential improvements in patient care.
Challenges:
- Managing HFpEF remains a challenge due to its complexity and the presence of multiple comorbidities such as hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
- A lack of real-time structured data impacts timely decision-making in treatment plans for HF patients.
- High rates of rehospitalization for both cardiac and non-cardiac reasons complicate long-term management.
Solutions:
- Danny Platform was used to collect, structure, and analyze data on heart failure patients, offering clinicians a real-time overview of patient characteristics and treatment pathways.
- A detailed analysis of comorbidities, treatment effectiveness, and hospitalization trends was conducted to optimize HF management.
- Categorizing patients by EF allowed for personalized treatment approaches and better insight into disease progression.
Results:
- The analysis included 1,313 heart failure (HF) diagnosed patients from two cardiology hospitals, focusing on 413 hospitalized individuals. This study provides comprehensive view of demographic and clinical characteristics for HF patients.
- The study demonstrated epidemiological data, with an average patient age of 69.77 years. More than 50% of the hospitalized patients were male.
- Additionally, ejection fraction (EF) data, a critical indicator of heart function, was available for 352 patients, showing that 68% had preserved EF (>50%), which aligns with global trends related to ageing populations and chronic diseases.
- Comorbidity profiling revealed that the most common conditions among HF patients were hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and diabetes, with around 66% of hospitalized patients having two or more comorbidities.
- The study analyzed the discharge therapy of heart failure (HF) patients, identifying key areas where treatment strategies could be optimized to improve patient outcomes and management.
- Studies like this emphasize the importance of real-world data in shaping national healthcare policies, enhancing patient safety, optimizing resources, and improving overall healthcare delivery.
Benefits:
- The study provided real-world insights into the management of heart failure, highlighting opportunities to improve patient outcomes.
- Danny Platform’s real-time data structuring capabilities allowed for a more detailed and accurate analysis, supporting the development of targeted treatment strategies.
- The findings advocate for enhanced outpatient care to reduce rehospitalization rates and better address the challenges posed by comorbidities in heart failure patients.
- The study highlights the urgent need for digitalization in healthcare, requiring collaboration from all stakeholders to improve data access and patient care.
Authors:
Prof. I. Petrov, Acibadem City Clinic Cardiovascular Center – Sofia, Bulgaria
Dr. V. Konstantinov, Acibadem City Clinic Cardiovascular Center – Sofia, Bulgaria
Dr. L. Dosev, City Clinic “St Georgi” – Montana, Bulgaria
Mihail Jekov, CTO, Sqilline, Sofia, Bulgaria
Daniel Penchev, Co-Founder, Sqilline, Sofia, Bulgaria
K. Genkova, Novatris Bulgaria EOOD, Sofia, Bulgaria
Click here to read the full publication in Acta Medica Bulgaria