Effect of home-based follow-up intervention on readmissions and mortality in heart failure patients: a meta-analysis.

We investigated whether the home-based intervention (HBI) for heart failure (HF), restricted to education and support, improves readmissions or mortality compared with usual care. We searched PubMed and Embase for randomized controlled trials that examined the impact of HBI in HF. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed using R. Total 17/409 articles (3214 patients) met our inclusion criteria. The pooled estimate showed HBI was associated with a reduction in readmission rates and mortality (22 and 16% respectively; p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis confirmed that the benefit of HBI increases significantly with a longer follow-up. HBI in the form of education and support significantly reduces readmission rates and improves survival of HF patients. HBI should be considered in the discharge planning of HF patients.