Improving Provider Adherence to Guideline Recommendations in Heart Failure

Purpose of Review: Heart failure clinical practice guidelines are fundamental and serve as framework for providers to deliver evidence-based care that correlates with enhanced patient outcomes. However, adherence, particularly to guideline-directed medical therapy, remains suboptimal for a multitude of reasons. Recent Findings: Despite robust clinical trials, updated guidelines and an expert consensus statement from American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, and Heart Failure Society of America registry data signal that heart failure patients do not receive appropriate pharmacotherapy and may receive an intracardiac device without prior initiation or optimization of medical therapy. Summary: Strategies to improve provider adherence to heart failure guidelines include multidisciplinary models and appropriate referral and care standardization. These approaches can improve morbidity, mortality, and quality of life in HF patients.