Evaluating cardiology day hospital care to improve cardiovascular outcomes efficiently

Ricardo Fontes-Carvalho

Universidade do Porto, Portugal

Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of death and healthcare costs worldwide. After acute treatment, many patients still require long-term management to prevent deterioration, hospital readmissions and recurrent events, but traditional care models can have gaps between hospital discharge and outpatient follow-up. This project aims to evaluate a cardiology day hospital model designed to provide structured, short-stay ambulatory care for patients who need close monitoring without full hospital admission.

The study will assess the clinical, economic and organisational impact of implementing this model in a Portuguese healthcare setting. A team with expertise in cardiology, health services research, economics and data analysis will compare outcomes before and after implementation, including readmissions, emergency visits, major cardiovascular events, mortality, patient flow, bed use and costs.

The project will provide evidence on the model’s quality and efficiency. If successful, it could be widely adopted in ambulatory cardiology care to reduce pressure on inpatient beds and emergency services and promote higher-value cardiovascular care.

• Sara Machado, Brown University, United States of America

• Pedro Teixeira, Centro Hospitalar de Gaia/Espinho, Portugal

Cardiology Ambulatory Day Care Hospital: Clinical, Economic and Health System Impact in Tertiary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

€147,333.01