National Knowledge Week on Heart Failure: 29 October - 2 November 2007

The Cardiovascular Diseases Specialist Library is hosting a National Knowledge Week on Heart Failure from 29 October 2007. Heart failure is common, deadly and preventable, affecting (estimated prevalence) over 800,000 people in the UK. Heart failure accounts for about 5% of admissions to general medical or elderly care hospital beds, and readmission rates can be as high as 50% in the six months following initial hospital stay. Annual mortality ranges from 10-50% depending on initial severity.

The evidence base for heart failure prevention, treatment and care has grown in recent years as our understanding and awareness of the burden of this condition on individuals, their families, the NHS and wider society has risen. In 2003 the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published guidelines on management of chronic heart failure in primary and secondary care. Our Knowledge Week is designed to update health professionals and patients on significant advances in knowledge about heart failure, taking the NICE guideline as our starting point for searching the literature.

Find out more at http://www.library.nhs.uk/cardiovascular/