Understanding the management of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a qualitative multiperspective study

The Optimise HFpEF teams in Cambridge, Keele and Manchester interviewed 50 patients, 9 carers and 73 healthcare providers to determine their perspectives on the diagnosis and management of HFpEF, and what is and isn’t happening in practice.  The teams confirmed that diagnosis and treatment of HFpEF is not part of everyday practice in General Practice, and that the condition was not widely visible, understood or diagnosed within Primary Care.  Three main tensions were identified:  difficult and often delayed diagnosis; varying perceptions of HFpEF and lack of shared understanding; and variability in services available for patients with HFpEF.  These problems hinder efforts to improve management of patients with HFpEF.  You can access the full paper here:  https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp20X713477  You can also view a brief podcast with Emma Sowden (first author of the paper) with The Naked Scientists team here:  https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/short/hfpef-heart-failure-type-underserved