Hancock 2012.
| Methods | Randomised controlled trial | |
| Participants | A total of 28 residents from 33 long‐term aged care facilities and diagnosed with left ventricular systolic dysfunction | |
| Interventions | Group 1: Usual‐care group were referred to their primary care physician. The team cardiologist sent a letter to the primary care physician outlining the participant's management plan Group 2: Intervention group consisted of an initial visit with a cardiologist who implemented a management plan. The heart failure nurse then followed up the participant at the aged care facility once or twice a week. The heart failure nurse implemented the management plan including blood tests, clinical assessment, patient and carer education, and titration of medication All participants were followed up for 6 months |
|
| Outcomes | Primary outcome: proportion of participants receiving optimum dose of ACEIs and beta‐adrenergic blocking agents at 6 months Secondary outcomes: percentage of participants prescribed ACEI or beta‐adrenergic blocking agents or both, heart failure‐related mortality, heart failure‐related hospitalisation, and changes in functional capacity and quality of life |
|
| Notes | ||
| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | Quote: "...randomisation used stratified blocks according to NYHA classification" Quote: "Randomisation occurred patient level." |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Low risk | Quote: "Treatment allocation was concealed" |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | High risk | Comment: All participants and health professionals were aware of the group allocation. There was no blinding |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Quote: "...a blinded assessor reviewed medical notes for changes in prescribing and heart failure events" |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Comment: There was no report about incomplete outcome data |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | Comment: All outcomes were reported |