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 The Meritus Medical Center congestive heart failure
program is available to patients needing to learn or improve self-management
techniques for congestive heart failure (CHF).
A full-time CHF clinician facilitates the program.
Patients call a toll free number on a prescribed
basis (generally once per week) and are asked a series of questions
regarding their CHF status such as weight, symptoms, medication
changes etc. The information is e-mailed twice daily to the CHF
clinician who reviews the data looking for any responses that
may
be of concern. Those patients are then contacted by the nurse for
further assessment. When necessary the nurse will also contact
the
physician.
The goals of the program are to teach patients how
to manage their disease and to intervene early when symptoms change
in order to avoid hospital admissions. Classes are also taught at
the hospital on signs and symptoms of CHF, low sodium diet guidelines,
exercise and energy conservation. These classes are open to patients
and their families.
Physicians may refer patients to the program
by calling the cardiac rehab department.
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