Palliative care in heart failure addressing the largest care gap

Heart failure is a chronic, fatally progressive and incurable condition characterized by periods of apparent stability interspersed with acute exacerbations. Treatment models have historically emphasized management of acute exacerbations of cardiovascular disease, during which end-of-life issues figure frequently and prominently, though in a setting that is inappropriate to address the comprehensive needs of patients and their families. Consequently, in comparison to patients with malignancy, heart failure patients at the end of life are less likely to access palliative resources, and more likely to access in-patient care and cardiovascular procedures.