The project "More Value in Heart Failure", developed by a multidisciplinary team from the Internal Medicine Department of the Aveiro Local Health Unit (ULSRA) and led by Dr Joana Neves, has been selected as one of the four winners of the 4th edition of the "More Value in Health – Lives that Matter" Grants.
The programme, promoted by Gilead Sciences in partnership with the Portuguese Association of Hospital Administrators (APAH), Exigo, and Vision for Value, awarded the project a €50,000 grant, which will support its implementation.
The project is based on the recognition that heart failure remains one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in Portugal, particularly among an ageing population with multiple comorbidities, and that Internal Medicine plays a central role in the management of these patients. However, traditional models of care have had limited success in reducing avoidable readmissions, healthcare costs, and the overall burden of disease while improving patients' quality of life.
The ULSRA team proposes the implementation of a Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC) model for heart failure, aiming to improve clinical outcomes through reduced hospital readmissions, enhanced quality of life, more efficient use of healthcare resources by avoiding unnecessary admissions, and greater patient satisfaction.
The project will identify, before hospital discharge, patients admitted through the emergency department or hospitalised with acute heart failure as their primary diagnosis who are classified as high or very high risk according to the institution's Population Risk Stratification strategy. These patients will then receive an early, structured intervention designed to reduce exacerbations, readmissions, and mortality while improving the quality of life of both patients and their families or caregivers.
Following identification, the programme will establish a continuum of care that ensures a structured transition from inpatient to outpatient care, including early post-discharge reassessment and simplified, direct communication channels with the hospital team whenever early signs of clinical deterioration are detected or questions arise regarding the patient's condition or treatment.
Expressing her satisfaction with the award, Dr Joana Neves, the Internal Medicine consultant who led the application, stated “In addition to strengthening the transition of care and promoting a more personalised approach, this project places the patient at the centre of care by encouraging education and self-management, while reducing the need for repeated visits to the hospital."
This award reflects the Aveiro Local Health Unit's commitment to innovation in healthcare delivery. The More Value in Health programme is particularly significant because it recognises projects developed according to the principles of Value-Based Healthcare (VBHC), rewarding initiatives that improve outcomes while creating greater value for patients and healthcare systems.
EMHA warmly congratulates the Internal Medicine Department of ULSRA on this outstanding achievement.