Transitional care-APN guided care coordination

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is an epidemic with estimated direct and indirect costs to the United States for 2008 of 34.8 billion (AHA, 2008). CHF is the only cardiovascular disease whose incidence is increasing (Williams, 2009). The most significant factor contributing to the increased incidence of CHF is the increased elderly population. Based on the 44-year follow-up of the NHLBI’s Framingham Heart Study, eighty percent of men and 70 percent of women under age 65 who have CHF will die within eight years (Williams, 2009). As the population ages, the total number of Americans with chronic conditions will rise rapidly. In a recent study of health care in six developed nations, the United States ranked first in health care spending; fifth in quality; and sixth in access, efficiency and equity (Boult, 2009).