Question 3: How can a heart failure patient be best prepared for an appointment with their healthcare provider?
Heart Failure Society of America @HFSA
- Patients should arrive at each clinic visit w/ a comprehensive list of all of their daily meds and a log of their daily weights. They should be prepared to discuss their use of meds and any concerns about side effects, tolerability, cost or access. #HFChat2022 #HFWeek2022
- Patients should also feel empowered to ask questions about the disease, their medical treatments, or any other issues about how they’re feeling on a day-to-day basis (for example, their activity level, appetite, sleep). #HFChat2022 #HFWeek2022
- Example questions may include:
✔️ When will you check my ejection fraction again?
✔️How do the medications being prescribed help me and how do they work?
✔️What side effects should I expect when taking these medications?
#HFChat2022 #HFWeek2022
- By asking questions, each patient is strengthening their knowledge (which is power!) of their heart failure care and will be prepared to take action if their symptoms change. #HFChat2022 #HFWeek2022
American Association of Heart Failure Nurses @AAHFN
- A patient can best prepare for their appointment by bringing a log of their daily weights and BP readings (if they've been asked to measure those). This will help guide adjustments in their therapy. #HFChat2022 #HFWeek2022
- Patient should also bring a list of questions/concerns they have or things they don't understand. They are a partner in their HF care too and need to be well-informed. #HFChat2022 #HFWeek2022
American College of Cardiology @ACCinTouch
- Patients should have a list of current medications, healthcare providers, past family history, lab results & questions about the condition. Check out our fact sheet on ❓ to ask: https://bit.ly/3gRQqgs
The Heart Brothers Foundation @HeartBrothers1
- Before walking into an appointment, #heartfailurepatients should always know their current numbers and how they compare to the last 2 or 3 sets. Keeping track of data and being active in your own health go a long way. #lifeaftertransplant #transplantsurvivor #HFChat2022
- HF Patients should also be cognizant of and speak to their sleeping habits, level of physical activity, diet, salt intake, weight gain vs loss, blood pressure trends, and compliance to physician-prescribed medication and diet regiment. #heartfailurepatient #HFChat2022
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association @4hcm
- HCM patients should also keep track of when symptoms are more severe or noticeable - Linking symptoms to activities may help access obstruction. Keeping of log of good days and bad days may help to identify personal triggers. #HFChat2022
International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation @ISHLT
- Think about everything you’ve recognized changing in your body and any questions that have come to mind and write them down BEFORE your appointment. This helps you work with your care providers to get the best understanding and answers during your appointment. #HFChat2022
- If you have trouble remembering what to write down just before your appointment, keep an ongoing log of observations and questions that you update regularly. A combination of observations and questions is most helpful to your clinician. #HFChat2022
- Make sure that you are prepared with all your questions written down in advance. Also note any changes you have noticed so you can bring them to your HCP #HFChat2022
- Become Empowered! Find our 7 Steps to becoming an empowered patient here: https://mendedhearts.org/7-steps-to-becoming-an-empowered-patient/… #HFChat2022
- Patients should keep track of their symptoms in writing, so they can tell the doctor without having to remember. And write down all your questions before the appt and write down the answers during the appt. For more tips visit http://ow.ly/4r0N50HWMEC #HFChat2022