The cost burden will be fueled by the rising incidence of heart disease, due to both an aging population and an increase in the frequency of conditions that contribute to heart failure, including ischemic heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. The total number of people with heart disease could hit 8 million by 2030, a 46 percent increase from 5 million in 2012.
AHA CEO Nancy Brown advocates taking steps now to reverse this trend. “If we treat patients using existing guidelines, improve care transitions, adequately train our healthcare workforce and reduce disparities in the health outcomes of specific populations, we can lessen the burdens of heart failure,” she said in a news release.
More Articles on Cost of Care:
Playing Moneyball in the OR to Reduce Costs
Study: Acute Care for Elders Unit Linked to Lower Readmissions, Cost
Study: Cost Information Reduces Physicians’ Lab Test Orders
