- Yelena Deese Del Angel
- Summer 2026
Faculty instructor: Annette Jenkins
Abstract
Heart failure remains a big public health issue because of its complexity, high morbidity and mortality rates, and how frequently people are readmitted to hospitals (Marques et al., 2022). Receiving follow-up care within seven days after discharge from a heart failure exacerbation can significantly decrease readmission by early detection of signs and symptoms of decompensation and follow up patient education (Baris & Tabit, 2025). The goal of the research was to find out further information on why readmission rates are still high, what are the barriers to follow up care, and what resources are available to those with heart failure in Vancouver, WA. Research conducted involved searching the internet for scholarly evidence-based articles on barriers to follow up care for heart failure patients as a whole in the United States. Then, gain further insight on heart failure barriers by speaking to a couple of stakeholders. One stakeholder is a nurse that works in an outpatient heart failure clinic and another is a care coordinator at a local hospital in the area of concern, Vancouver, WA. Lastly, the goal was to research resources for patients 65 and older in Vancouver, WA. Barriers to follow up care revolved around social determinants of health such as transportation needs, financial strain, education understanding, and food assistance (Crump et al., 2026). Multiple resources in the area were found including resources for transportation and financial assistance with medication and health insurance. In conclusion, the suggestion is that potentially more education to raise awareness about local resources in the community is needed. This may help to maximize utilization of these resources which may help to combat social determinants of health to allow for fewer barriers to follow up care after discharge.
References
Baris, R. O., & Tabit, C. E. (2025). Heart Failure Readmission Prevention Strategies-A Comparative Review of Medications, Devices, and Other Interventions. Journal of clinical medicine, 14(16), 5894.
https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14165894
Crump, A. A., Bimali, M., McCall, S., Parker, P., Massey-Swindle, T., Sexton, K. W., Seker, E., Garza, M. Y., & Williams, T. B. (2026). Social determinants of health and hospitalization risk in heart failure: A Retrospective analysis. American heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice, 63, 100731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahjo.2026.100731w
Marques, C. R. de G., de Menezes, A. F., Ferrari, Y. A. C., Oliveira, A. S., Tavares, A. C. M., Barreto, A. S., Vieira, R. de C. A., da Fonseca, C. D., & Santana-Santos, E. (2022, November 28). Educational nursing intervention in reducing hospital readmission and the mortality of patients with HEART FAILURE: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of cardiovascular development and disease. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9785661/