First of its kind Irish Heart Failure resource for patients in Ireland and Europe was launched at the annual Croi Heart Failure Academy in Galway, supported by Novartis

The Heart Failure Patient Alliance, with the support of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, has created a comprehensive Heart Failure Patient Toolkit to provide information, support and resources for people living with heart failure their families and carers.

The Heart Failure Patient Toolkit was officially launched at the 2nd Heart Failure Patient Organisation Capacity Building Academy in Galway.  Heart Failure patient organisation representatives from all over World attended to discuss the issues that need to be addressed for those living with Heart Failure, which include education and self-care support. 

The resource, which was created to address some of these issues, is a new heart failure patient resource developed by the Heart Failure Patient Alliance, a partnership between the heart and stroke charity Croí, the West of Ireland Cardiac Foundation and The Heartbeat Trust, a national Heart Failure charity and supported by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.  To access the patient materials on Heart Failure, please go to Croi.ie or Heartbeat-trust.ie.  They are also available in Heart Failure clinics, nationwide.

The toolkit consists of a series of booklets supported by a comprehensive online resource to help educate and inform people living with heart failure, their families and carers.
The online component of this toolkit is the first of its kind.  It contains videos featuring advice from Irish people living with HF and carers, as well as a range of health care professionals (cardiologist, general practitioner, dietician and physiotherapist) providing education and tips on improving health and wellbeing with healthy lifestyle changes such as being active and eating well.

Neil Johnson Chief Executive of Croi, said “Up to 80% of cardiovascular disease is preventable through lifestyle change and risk factor management. In Ireland the public’s level of awareness of Heart Failure is very low with only 7% of the Irish population able to correctly identify three symptoms of Heart Failure. The more informed patients are of their condition, the more likely they are to engage in self-care thus improving outcomes. This patient resource aims to meet that information and education need.”

Professor Ken McDonald, from the Heart Beat Trust added, “There are 90,000 people living in Ireland with Heart Failure, however, until now, there has not be a comprehensive multi-media resource for these people and their families.  We are delighted that Ireland has been acknowledged as a centre of excellence to develop these materials and that they will also be available to people with living with heart failure across Europe”