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. 2021 Jan 11;76:e1991. doi: 10.6061/clinics/2021/e1991

Table 2. Delivered Care for Heart Failure Patients Comparing Public versus Private.

Total Public Private p-value
BNP dosage available 81% (64/79) 73% (27/37) 88% (37/42) 0.087
Indication for BNP
    Help in the diagnosis 72% (46/64) 67% (18/27) 75% (28/37) ns
    Determine the prognosis 61% (39/64) 63% (17/27) 60% (22/37) ns
    Help the treatment 33% (6/27) 22% (6/27) 41% (15/37) ns
    Monitoring 58% (37/64) 48% (13/27) 65% (24/37) ns
Centers without BNP
    Lack of access 80% (13/15) 80% (8/10) 100% (5/5) ns
    Considered not essential 20% (3/15) 30% (3/10) 0% (0/5) ns
Education program for patient 33% (24/73) 55% (17/31) 22% (7/32) 0.006
Education program for caregivers 24% (18/74) 39% (12/31) 19% (6/32) 0.058
Written instructions at hospital discharge 84% (63/75) 83% (29/35) 76% (29/38) ns
    By Doctor 66% (38/58) 62% (18/29) 69% (20/29) ns
    By Nurse 33% (19/58) 38% (11/29) 28% (8/29)
    By Others 1% (1/58) (1 out of 58) 0% (0/29) (0 out of 29) 3% (1/29) (1 out of 29)
Patient monitoring programs 39% (27/70) 47% (17/36) 29% (10/34) ns
Using monitoring program
    At ambulatory using non-doctorspecialized monitoring 20% (14/70) 31% (11/36) 9% (3/34) 0.035
    At distance using phone or other methods 14% (10/70) 14% (5/36) 15% (5/34) ns
Regular use of HF guidelines 90% (65/72) 94% (34/36) 86% (31/36) ns
    DEIC-BSC 43% (31/72) 50% (18/36) 36% (13/36) ns
    ESC 21% (15/72) 19% (7/36) 22% (8/36)
    AHA/ACC 17% (12/72) 14% (5/36) 16% (7/36)
    Institution’s own protocol 8% (6/72) 8% (3/36) 8% (3/36)
    Other guidelines 1% (2/72) 3% (1/36) 0% (0/36)
    Not following guidelines 10% (7/72) 6% (2/36) 14% (2/36)
Using quality of life questionnaire 26% (18/69) 23% (8/35) 29% (10/34) ns
    KCCQ 3% (2/69) 3% (1/35) 3% (1/34) ns
    MLHFQ 20% (14/69) 17% (6/35) 24% (8/34) ns
    Other 3% (2/69) 3% (1/35) 3% (1/34) ns
Cardiac rehabilitation 54% (37/68) 69% (24/35) 39% (13/33) 0.016
Key performance indicators 53% (34/64) 39% (13/33) 68% (21/31) 0.023
    Hospital mortality 31% (20/64) 22% (7/33) 42% (13/31) 0.074
    6-month mortality 20% (13/64) 18% (6/33) 23% (7/31) ns
    30-day hospitalization after discharge 33% (21/64) 24% (8/33) 42% (13/31) ns
    90-day hospitalization after discharge 14% (9/64) 12% (4/33) 16% (5/31) ns
    Hospitalization duration 25% (6/64) 24% (8/33) 26% (8/31) ns
    Other 3% (2/64) 3% (1/33) 3% (1/31) ns
Medical decision in hospitalized patient in decompensated HF
    By hospital cardiology team 44% 48% 38% < 0.001
    By cardiologist who cares for the patient in the outpatient clinic 43% 41% 46% < 0.001
    By intensive care unit doctors if admitted in intensive care unit 13% 11% 16% < 0.001
Beginning of HF treatment
    Cardiologist in hospital 38% 45% 27% < 0.001
    Cardiologist in ambulatory 43% 30% 62% < 0.001
    General practitioner 11% 15% 4% < 0.001
    Intensive care doctor 4% 3% 5% 0.102
    Geriatrics 2% 3% 0.4% 0.276
    Others 3% 4% 2% 0.147
Prescribed HF treatment
    ACE-I 97% (72/74) 92% (33/36) 100% (38/38) ns
    ARBs 84% (62/74) 81% (29/36) 87% (33/38) ns
    β-blocker 92% (68/74) 92% (32/36) 95% (36/38) ns
    Spironolactone 93% (69/74) 92% (32/36) 97% (37/38) ns
    Digoxin 39% (29/74) 50% (18/36) 29% (11/38) 0.064
    Diuretics 88% (65/74) 86% (31/36) 90% (34-38) ns
    Vasodilators 51% (38/74) 58% (21/36) 45% (17/38) ns
Patients with target doses of medication according guidelines (%) 73% 77% 63% <0.001

IQR, interquartile range; Specialized HF care considered (in-hospital or outpatient);HF, heart failure; HF-DMP, disease management program for HF; Centers with at least one multidisciplinary member , centers having at least one of the following professions: cardiology, nursing, physiotherapy and/or physical educator or nutritionist; HF, heart failure; BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; DEIC, Heart Failure Department of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology; ESC, European Society of Cardiology; AHA, American Heart Association; MDP, multidisciplinary program; KCCQ, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire; MLHFQ, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire; ACE-I Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; ARBs, angiotensin receptor blockers; p, public versus private.