324 - IMPROVING ACCESS TO EVIDENCE-BASED HEART FAILURE CARE: BRIDGING GAPS AND DRIVING CHANGE

Panelist(s)

• 

  Jillianne Code, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Co-Founder / Associate Professor
  HeartLife / University of British Columbia
  University of British Columbia

Presenter(s)

• 

  Jillianne Code, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Co-Founder / Associate Professor
  HeartLife / University of British Columbia
  University of British Columbia
• 

  Simone Cowan, n/a

  Cardiologist
  St. Paul's Hospital, University of British Columbia
  University of British Columbia
• 

  Lynette Kosar, n/a (she/her/hers)

  Heart Function Clinic Pharmacist
  Saskatchewan Health Authority, CCPN, NAHC
  University of Saskatchewan
• 

  Seema Nagpal, n/a

  Chief Science Officer
  Canadian Cardiovascular Society

Moderator(s)

• RM

  Robert Mckelvie, n/a
• SP

  Stephanie Poon, MD, MSc, FRCPC

  Staff Cardiologist
  Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
  University of Toronto

Administrator ( Guidelines Submission Only )(s)

• KP

  Kendra Pelland, BSc, MSc

  Program Manager
  Canadian Cardiovascular Society

Planning Committee Member(s)

• 

  Jillianne Code, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Co-Founder / Associate Professor
  HeartLife / University of British Columbia
  University of British Columbia
• 

  Mena Gewarges, MD (she/her/hers)

  Cardiologist
  CANCARE
  University of Toronto
• CG

  Charlotte Girard, Person with lived experience (PWLE)
• KH

  Kate Haichin, MD

  Cardiology Resident
  McGill University
• RJ

  Rahul Jain, MD CCFP MScCH FCFP
• RP

  Rodolfo Pike, n/a

  NP heart function clinic
  CCS/CCCN
  Easternhealth

Workshop Description: Heart failure (HF) represents a significant burden to patients, their caregivers, and society. It affects 1 in every 3 Canadians underscoring the urgency for better solutions. Recent findings from the literature demonstrate that there are gaps and inconsistent access to HF care across the country. This impacts all aspects of HF management from the ability to institute timely medical therapy through to the provision of other supportive care required by patients with HF. Evidence suggests that only 70% of eligible patients with HF are on recommended medications and less than 30% of those on a treatment plan are achieving target medication doses. Despite advances in therapy the relatively low use of guideline directed medical therapy as well as inadequate transitional care results in a 20% readmission rate within 30 days following hospital discharge and this rate has not changed in the last decade. The purpose of this workshop is to provide delegates with information that will support them in advocating for improvements in HF care. Delegates will hear about the variable access to HF medical therapies across Canada. This will include the description of barriers by people with lived experience to access these therapies. Patients with HF are at risk of contracting viral infections that can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular events. The session will explore this area and highlight the need to facilitate better access to vaccines in this population. Finally, delegates will learn how to secure the attention of governments, establish alignment with Canadians’ priorities, and drive meaningful health system change to support improvements in HF care across the country.