Fig. 1.

Study design.

HF: heart failure; HCMC: Ho Chi Minh City; HFrEF: heart failure with reduced ejection fraction; HFmrEF: heart failure with mid-range ejection fraction; OHF: optimized heart failure care program; M2: at 2 months post discharge; M6: at 6 months post discharge.

* HFrEF: LVEF <40% documented by echocardiography; HFmrEF: 40% ≤ LVEF <50% and ESC criteria for HFmrEF (left ventricular hypertrophy and/or left atrial enlargement) documented by echocardiography.

** Except angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor that we do not have yet.

*** 4 educational themes: diet (especially how to reduce salt intake, fat intake, and to achieve fluid restriction), exercise, weight control at home (recommending weighting every two weeks or one month, on the same day of the week and the same time of the day) and/or detection of worsening HF symptoms at home (such as dyspnea worsening, gain of >2 kg in two weeks, bloating, or oedema in the lower limbs).

**** Education/knowledge has been tested by a questionnaire conducted by 2 trained secretaries. The patients was asked if they heard the doctor's advice, described what was heard about diet, exercise, weight control and detection of worsening HF symptoms at home, and described what they had done at home, how they felt when done.