The adequate level of knowledge about heart failure in Primary Care consultations, along with optimal access to diagnostic tests from this first level of care, constitute the main conclusions of the "MICENAS" study. Its preliminary results have been the basis for the winning poster in this category during the recent 32nd National Congress of the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEMG).
The work "Knowledge and management of heart failure in Primary Care: preliminary results of the MICENAS study (pilot study)", prepared by Miguel Ángel Muñoz Pérez, Mariam de la Poza Abad, Nuria Sellares Gómez, Victoria Cendrós Cámara, José Luis del Val and José María Verdú Rotellar, has focused on this pathology of great relevance both for patients and their relatives and for the organization of healthcare.
"Heart failure is a very relevant disease, both due to its increasing prevalence and the impact it has on patients, their families, and the care provided by Primary Care," stated Muñoz Pérez, principal investigator of the project, who also recalled that "a high variability has been described in the implementation of clinical practice guidelines and access to both diagnostic and care resources."
Delving into the design of the work, and emphasizing that the central objective "is to analyze the knowledge of Family Doctors on the management of heart failure, as well as the coordination between Primary and Hospital Care, the availability of diagnostic resources, and existing training needs," he detailed that the study was carried out in two Primary Care centers in Barcelona.
Aspects to improve in the approach to heart failure
"The first results show a positive scenario, although with aspects susceptible to improvement," pointed out Muñoz Pérez, before specifying that "the pilot study showed a good level of knowledge about the disease and good access to diagnostic tests from Primary Care, as well as unanimous agreement on the need for continuing education."
Despite this favorable balance, he indicated that distinct "areas for improvement" have been "highlighted". "Furthermore, as it is a study concentrated in two centers with very similar characteristics, the need to deepen the analysis of variability in terms of resources and care coordination at the state level was confirmed," he explained.
"We have already collected data from the 17 autonomous communities and are analyzing the results at the state level," Muñoz Pérez pointed out in this regard, adding that "the survey has also been extended to Family Doctors in the rest of Europe to have an exploratory international perspective."