Date of Award

January 2022

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Yale University School of Nursing

First Advisor

Laura K. Andrews

Second Advisor

Jessica S. Coviello

Abstract

The lives of more than six million people in the United States are negatively impacted by the diagnosis of Advanced Heart Failure. Financial burden, repeated hospitalizations, and declining quality of life account for poor outcomes. Implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has offered the promise of improved financial, clinical, and functional outcomes for those awaiting or ineligible for heart transplantation. Right Heart Failure (RHF), however, threatens positive outcomes as it remains the leading cause of mortality and morbidity following LVAD placement. Despite extensive research, there is no comprehensive tool for RHF risk assessment and stratification for this population. The D.N.P. project aimed to adapt and implement a scoring tool for such assessment. Providers rated the assessment tool to be feasible and useful in practice. Though limited by a small number of LVAD patients, RHF risk was found to fluctuate for each patient throughout the phases of care, and no single parameter consistently trended in the same direction as the combined score. This pilot project should inspire future projects aimed at identifying risk for RHF which can offer opportunities for preventative care and realization of all positive outcomes for LVAD recipients.

Comments

This is an Open Access Thesis.

Open Access

This Article is Open Access

Share

COinS