Heart failure & cardiomyopathies

Quality of Care and Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure in Rural vs Urban US Hospitals: The Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry

JAMA CardiolPublished Retrospective cohort study

Authors' conclusion

In this large contemporary cohort of US patients hospitalized for HF, care at rural hospitals was independently associated with lower use of some guideline-recommended therapies at discharge and shorter length of stay. In-hospital mortality and 30-day postdischarge outcomes were similar at rural and urban hospitals.

Study context

Population
US patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) in the Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure (GWTG-HF) registry, 2014–2021161,996 linked to Medicare
Participants
774,419 patients
Exposure
Rural vs urban hospitals
  • Ruraln = 19,832
  • Urbann = 754,587reference
Outcome
GWTG-HF quality measures, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and 30-day mortality and readmission
Methodological detailsregistry-based (GWTG-HF), 569 sites
  • Registry-based (GWTG-HF)
  • 569 sites

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Rural vs UrbanAdjusted odds ratio (95% CI)
CRT prescribed at discharge; aRD −13.5%
0.44(0.22–0.92)
ACEi or ARB at discharge; aRD −3.7%
0.71(0.53–0.96)
ARNI at discharge; aRD −5.0%
0.68(0.47–0.98)
In-hospital mortality
0.86(0.70–1.07)
Length of stay ≥4 days
0.75(0.67–0.85)

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

OutcomeaHR (95% CI)
30-day outcomes (Medicare beneficiaries) · 30 daysRuralvs UrbanHF readmission1.03 (0.90–1.19)
30-day outcomes (Medicare beneficiaries) · 30 daysRuralvs UrbanAll-cause readmission0.97 (0.91–1.04)
30-day outcomes (Medicare beneficiaries) · 30 daysRuralvs UrbanAll-cause mortality1.05 (0.91–1.21)
  • 30-day outcomes (Medicare beneficiaries): 161 996 linked to Medicare claims

Original publication

Quality of Care and Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure in Rural vs Urban US Hospitals: The Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry. JAMA Cardiol. Published 1 April 2023. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2023.0241

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