Heart failure is a chronic disease that develops when the heart loses its ability to pump blood effectively and meet the body’s needs. According to the hospital, it is the leading cause of hospitalization among people over 65. Its impact on daily life and the complexity of follow-up care make coordinated attention from healthcare professionals essential.
With the Community Heart Failure Unit, Zaragoza II Health Sector is strengthening collaboration between the hospital and health centers. Cardiology and Internal Medicine work alongside Nursing, Social Work and Pharmacy, in close coordination with Primary Care. The model is expected to incorporate other specialties to provide a comprehensive response to patients’ needs.
LOLA, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR MONITORING PATIENTS AT HOME
Lola is a conversational artificial intelligence tool that enables patients to stay in contact with healthcare professionals from their homes. Since it was launched in February, it has assisted more than 400 people with heart failure. The system monitors possible signs that the disease is worsening and generates alerts that the Nursing team reviews to determine whether intervention is necessary.
When alerts point to a risk situation, nursing professionals contact the patient, assess their condition and take the necessary measures at an early stage. This remote monitoring complements in-person appointments and strengthens clinical surveillance after hospital discharge, a period in which the unit seeks to prevent decompensation that could lead to new admissions.
“Our success will be for patients to need less hospital care and to be able to live longer and better at home,” says Charo Ortas, head of Cardiology at Miguel Servet. The specialist explains that the unit’s purpose is to support patients after hospitalization through a clear, coordinated care pathway that helps prevent complications and further hospitalizations due to heart failure.
A UNIT COORDINATED WITH PRIMARY CARE IN ZARAGOZA
The new unit is located on the seventh floor of Miguel Servet Hospital and has dedicated Cardiology and Internal Medicine consultations, a day hospital and nursing professionals providing ongoing monitoring. Its activity began in February and is being developed gradually, following several years of collaboration between specialties to improve cardiovascular care.
Many of the patients are older people living with several diseases and receiving care from different professionals. Coordination with Family Medicine seeks to prevent duplicate appointments and poorly coordinated treatment changes, as well as avoidable readmissions. “Caring for each patient as a whole” is the idea that sums up the approach, says Pilar Figueras, head of Internal Medicine at the hospital.
The unit was presented at the 5th Primary Care–Hospital Cardiology Medical-Nursing Conference of Zaragoza II Health Sector, held on Monday, October 19, at Miguel Servet Children’s Hospital. The program included the participation of healthcare professionals and patients, as well as a practical echocardiography workshop for Primary Care aimed at supporting the diagnosis and monitoring of heart failure in the community setting.
