Global Heart
Heart Failure Care and Post-Hospital Outcomes in Northwestern Tanzania
By Fredrick Kalokola, Bahati M. K. Wajanga, Mabula Deodatus and 14 others.
Abstract
Introduction
In Africa, heart failure (HF) mortality is the highest in the world; approximately 50% of patients die within one year of HF hospitalization. Little is known about the quality of inpatient and post-discharge care and its association with patient outcomes. The purpose of this study is to describe HF outcomes for patients admitted in Northwestern Tanzania and evaluate associations between gaps in quality care and post-hospital survival.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective chart review of all adult patients admitted with HF at Bugando Medical Centre in 2023. We abstracted data from the index hospitalization and subsequent encounters until August 31, 2025. Vital status was ascertained by telephone. We characterized post-discharge outcomes and adherence to guideline recommendations for HF care. Cox proportional hazards models assessed associations between gaps in quality measures and mortality.