Effects of Implementing a Heart Failure Order Set to Optimize Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy and Diuresis in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Background: Utilization of guideline-directed medical therapy in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure is suboptimal during the hospitalization and after discharge. An inpatient heart failure order set may be a convenient and useful intervention to improve heart failure therapy in the inpatient setting. Methods: This is a retrospective study that assessed the use of an inpatient heart failure order set on pharmacologic therapy in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure from May to August 2022. Patients with heart failure with an ejection fraction less than 50% were included in the analysis. The co-primary endpoints were maintenance or optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy during the hospitalization. Results: Maintenance of guideline-directed medical therapy was significantly greater when providers used the heart failure order set (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.03-5.33, P = .041). Optimization of guideline-directed medical therapy was also statistically greater with use of the order set (OR 11.31, 95% CI 4.37-29.31, P < .001). Conclusions: An inpatient heart failure order set may be an effective strategy to improve heart failure pharmacotherapy in patients hospitalized with acute heart failure.