Optimisation of Heart Failure Management in Nursing Homes Using Point-of-Care Ultrasonography: Harmonious Trial Rationale and Design

INTRODUCTION: Heart failure is common in the nursing home population and presents many diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Point-of-care ultrasonography is a bedside method that can be used to assess volume status more reliably than clinical examination. This trial was conceived to test whether point-of-care ultrasonography-guided management improves heart failure outcomes among nursing home residents. METHODS: Nursing home residents with heart failure will be enrolled in a multi-centre, prospective, randomised controlled trial. Residents will first be screened for heart failure. Patients with heart failure will be randomised in 1:1 fashion into two groups. Nursing home physicians will adjust diuretic therapy according to volume status for six months. Point-of-care ultrasonography will be used in the test group and clinical examination in the control group. The primary endpoint will be heart failure deterioration, defined as a composite of any of the following four events: the need for an intravenous diuretic application, the need for an emergency service intervention, the need for unplanned hospitalisation for non-injury causes, or death from whatever cause. EXPECTED RESULTS: The expected prevalence of heart failure among nursing home residents is above 10%. Point-of-care ultrasonography-guided heart failure management will reduce the number of deteriorations of heart failure in the nursing home population. CONCLUSION: This study will explore the usefulness of point-of-care ultrasonography for heart failure management in the nursing home population.