Effectiveness of a Nurse-Physician Collaborative Education Management Model for Acute Heart Failure in Emergency Department Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Aims/Background: Acute heart failure (AHF) is a prevalent critical condition in the emergency department. Conventional treatment approaches typically emphasise independent medical practices and lack structured physician-nurse collaborative education, which may adversely impact patient prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a physician-nurse collaborative education management model in patients with AHF in the emergency department. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 110 patients with AHF admitted to Tongxiang First People’s Hospital between January 2022 and January 2024. The control group (n=47) received routine care, while the observation group (n=63) received a physician-nurse collaborative education management intervention. Self-care ability, emotional status, quality of life, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, length of hospital stay, 3-month readmission rate, and incidence of adverse events were compared between groups. Results: At baseline, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (SCHFI), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), NYHA functional classification, or NT-proBNP levels (all p > 0.05). Six months after discharge, both groups showed significant increases in SCHFI scores (p < 0.05), with the observation group achieving higher scores (p < 0.001). SDS and SAS scores decreased in both groups, but were significantly lower in the observation group (p < 0.001). MLHFQ scores improved in both groups (p < 0.05), with greater improvement in the observation group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the observation group demonstrated better NYHA functional classification (p < 0.05), lower NT-proBNP levels (p < 0.05), shorter hospitalisation duration (p < 0.001), and reduced 3-month readmission rates and overall adverse event incidence (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The physician-nurse collaborative education management model significantly enhances self-care ability, alleviates anxiety and depression, promotes cardiac functional recovery, and improves quality of life in AHF patients. Moreover, it reduces hospitalisation duration, readmission rates, and adverse events, supporting its potential for broader clinical application.