Digital consultations significantly enhance medication optimisation in heart failure patients

Heart failure, a condition impacting over 60 million people globally, presents a significant challenge in ensuring patients receive the most effective combination of medications. A recent study has revealed that patients are four times more likely to achieve optimal medication regimens after just 12 weeks of engaging in digital consultations. This groundbreaking research, led by a collaboration of five Dutch hospitals under the coordination of Amsterdam UMC, demonstrates that digital consultations not only improve the quality of care but also maintain high levels of patient satisfaction. These findings have been published in Nature Medicine and were also presented at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual conference.

Reflecting on the origins of the study, Mark Schuuring, a former cardiologist at Amsterdam UMC and currently practising at Medical Spectrum Twente, stated, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all of our patients were suddenly digital consult patients and, to be honest, this worked well but there were also concerns. Those concerns gave us the idea for this study.”

The programme developed by the researchers measures the quality of care by comparing the treatment approaches taken during digital consultations with the most current medical guidelines. Schuuring elaborated, “We investigated the digital data exchange between patients and doctors and provided them both with more information. The programme encourages doctors and nurses to give treatment that is closest to international guidelines. The business community makes extensive use of such programmes, but they are not yet commonplace in the care sector.”

The study involved 150 heart failure patients who were randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group participated in a digital consultation strategy, while the other received traditional care. After 12 weeks, the researchers assessed how many patients in each group had achieved the optimal combination of medications. The results were striking: 28% of patients in the digital consultation group reached optimal medication levels, compared to only 7% in the traditional care group.

Schuuring emphasised the significance of these findings, stating, “Ultimately, we saw that this is superior to the way we currently organise care and this is demonstrated by the data.”

In addition to evaluating the effectiveness of digital consultations in improving medication optimisation, the researchers also addressed common concerns associated with digital healthcare. They found no significant differences in the time invested by healthcare providers, patient satisfaction levels, or, most importantly, the patients’ quality of life.

“This study shows that digital consultations are really a win-win; the patient’s care was improved, and their experience was also not in any way reduced,” Schuuring concluded. “We think that this could work way beyond heart failure. Something which is urgently needed as the increases in patient populations outstrip the growth in staff numbers.”

This study highlights the potential for digital consultations to play a crucial role in the future of healthcare, particularly in managing chronic conditions such as heart failure. The findings suggest that with the right digital tools, healthcare providers can offer high-quality care that adheres closely to international guidelines, ultimately improving patient outcomes while also addressing the growing demands on healthcare systems worldwide.