What is the impact of providing Structured Telephone Support (STS) on Quality of Life (QoL) outcomes for elderly patients with Chronic Heart Failure (CHF)?
The impact of providing Structured Telephone Support (STS) on Quality of Life (QoL) outcomes for elderly patients with Chronic Heart Failure (CHF) was found to be variable depending on the persons willingness to engage with the intervention and the specific focus of the STS. For example, STS that mainly focused on highlighting worrying symptoms might not have the same effect as an intervention aimed at providing education and support. Only one study reported patient adherence to STS which showed no clinically important effect. The committee acknowledged that using ad hoc telephone appointments and calls to the appropriate clinicians was a relevant form of providing support and managing a number of symptoms for people with heart failure. However, the committee did not feel as though the evidence supported a recommendation to offer or not offer structured telephone support and decided not to make a recommendation.