Objectives. We tested both an educational and a care coordination element of health care to examine if better disease-specific\nknowledge leads to successful self-management of heart failure (HF). Background. The high utilization of health care resources\nand poor patient outcomes associated with HF justify tests of change to improve self-management ofHF. Methods.This prospective\nstudy tested two components of the Chronic Care Model (clinical information systems and self-management support) to improve\noutcomes in the self-management of HF among patients who received intensive education and care coordination during their\nacute care stay. A postdischarge follow-up phone call assessed their knowledge of HF self-management compared to usual care\npatients. Results.There were 20 patients each in the intervention and usual care groups. Intervention patients were more likely to\nhave a scale at home, write down their weight, and practice new or different health behaviors. Conclusion. Patients receiving more\nintensive education knew more about their disease and were better able to self-manage their weight compared to patients receiving\nstandard care.
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