Netherlands Heart Foundation Coordinating Study Evaluating Outcomes of Advising and Counselling in Heart Failure

INTERVENTION: Patients in the intervention group 1 (A&Cb ) will receive extra visits to outpatient clinic where they will visit the HF nurse. Education according to guidelines starts during hospital phase. Behavioural strategies will be used to improve compliance. In addition, patients are instructed to contact the HF nurse if there is a change in the patient's condition or if there are any problems related to HF needing assistance of a health care provider. Patients in intervention group 2, (A&Ci) are provided with more intensive advising and counselling. Patients in this group will receive support similar to that of intervention group 1, to which further support is added: patients in this group will be seen each month during the course of the study by the HF nurse. In the first month, telephone calls are made weekly and at least one home visit is made within 10 days. The nurse consults a multidisciplinary team at least once to optimise her advice for each patient. This team will consist of a physiotherapist, dietician and social worker. CONDITION: Heart disease, heart failure ; Circulatory System ; Heart failure PRIMARY OUTCOME: Time to first event (HF readmission and death) SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Number of readmissions; 2. Quality of life; 3. Costs; 4. Compliance; 5. Knowledge; 6. Attitude; 7. Skills; 8. Self‐care behaviour INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Hospital admission for symptomatic chronic heart failure, established by the cardiologist 2. Evidence for structurally underlying heart disease 3. >18 years of age