VU Scientists Are Re-Evaluating Their Approach to the Care of Patients with Heart Failure

Patients with heart failure experience a substantial burden of physical and psychological symptoms in their daily lives. However, their specific needs and effective support strategies have not yet been sufficiently researched. Currently, palliative care is provided to only 5–7% of patients with heart failure and is usually only initiated once the disease is at a terminal stage. This is due to a focus on conventional treatment and the challenge of predicting the disease's course. As a result, many symptoms and needs remain unrecognised or inadequately managed. 

It is commonly understood that the needs of patients and their relatives depend on national, cultural and social context; however, there is still a lack of research that systematically addresses these issues. In response to this gap, the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University, in collaboration with the University Medical Centre Utrecht and other consortium partners, are implementing the European Union Horizon Europe-funded project, “Integrating a Palliative Care Approach for Patients with Heart Failure (RAPHAEL).”  

The project aims to introduce and develop integrated palliative care services for patients with heart failure and their caregivers, to ensure timely symptom identification and the provision of comprehensive needs-based support. 

“Heart failure is a progressive disease that significantly impairs quality of life, yet palliative care is often introduced too late for these patients. The RAPHAEL project provides an opportunity to systematically assess the real needs of patients and their families, and to develop solutions that can help recognise symptoms on time and ensure comprehensive care not only at the end of life, but when it is actually required,” explains Prof. Jelena Čelutkienė at the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University, the project lead in Lithuania.

The main objective of the project is to assess how heart failure and palliative care processes are organised in everyday clinical practice, and to explore the problems and concerns faced by patients with heart failure and their caregivers in their home setting. 

The project involves semi-structured interviews with patients who have advanced heart failure, their relatives and healthcare professionals. The collected data will be used to develop the PAL@Heart monitoring tool, designed to facilitate the earlier identification of patients’ needs and the timely provision of palliative care. 

The endeavour is being implemented in cooperation with ten European countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. In Lithuania, the project is implemented by experienced cardiologists and specialist heart failure nurses at the Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos. 

More information about the project can be found here.