The effect of continuity of ambulatory care on hospitalisations of patients with heart failure in Germany

Abstract

Background Heart failure is one of the most cost-intensive chronic diseases and the most common cause of hospitalisation. About 61.3% of the treatment costs of heart failure are incurred in the inpatient sector in Germany. However, hospital admissions due to heart failure are defined as ambulatory care sensitive conditions as they are considered to be potentially avoidable through effective and continuous ambulatory care. Our aim is to examine whether continuity in …