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Heart Failure Awareness Day 2016

The Heart Failure Awareness Day 2017 will take place on 5 - 7 May. We are really looking forward to it. We are delighted to announce the 2016 winners of the best events: Belarus, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Lithuania and Austria.

Heart Failure Awareness Days are held in May every year (depending on the country) and are designed to raise awareness about the importance of recognising Heart Failure, getting an accurate diagnosis and receiving optimal treatment.

National heart failure societies are encouraged to help their members organise events county-wide in hospitals and town centres. The HFA offers rewards of 5000 euros to groups who organised the best events. Click on the countries below to see their reports.

Armenia

The Heart Failure working group is planning to conduct their Heart Failure Awareness Days in the middle of May

Austria

Members of the Austrian Heart Failure Working Group gave MiniMed Lectures distributed all over Austria around the HF Awareness Day. These lectures are designed for medical teaching of the general population and provide excellent opportunities for raising awareness for heart failure.
The topic of structured heart failure care and telemonitoring was brought to the agenda of the ministry of health and social insurance.
Several DMPs for heart failure are being designed, running or being evaluated in pilot projects in several federal countries of Austria.
An initiative “Focus on Heart Failure” has been started within the Österreichischer Herzverband, a patient organization with >10000 paying members

Belarus

For Heart Failure Awareness Day 2016, the Belarus Heart Failure Association organized:

Nordic walking with the Olympic champion Alla Tsuper and patients with CHF NYHA II-III
race on roller skates among healthy people and HF specialists
activity with children in a creative workshop
boat trip with patients suffering from CHF with talking about a balanced diet, adequate physical activity, possible modern methods of treatment of CHF, importance of the medication and family involvement in the treatment etc.
promotion in local TV, radio, and newspapers
on-line press conference with the head of the Belarussian Heart Failure Association
development of mobile application for patients with CHF including a diabetes diary, a reminder of the taking medicine, body mass index calculator etc.
brochure and posters with information about the proper way of life

Belgium

This year, 22 centres across Belgium have been involved. Since 2010, every year, the Belgian Working Group on Heart Failure, in collaboration with the Belgian Cardiologic League, join forces to organize the campaign on a national level.

This year we also organized a Roundtable on Heart Failure at the Parliament on the 9th May 2016. The report of the HF roundtable has been sent to the press and all the deputies.

Cyprus

The Heart Failure working group of the Cyprus Cardiology Society will organize a number of activities during the relevant week, aiming at raising public awareness around Heart Failure as well as placing heart failure on the map of healthcare priorities in Cyprus.

The scheduled activities are the following:

Press Conference
Articles on heart failure by members of the Cyprus Cardiology Society in local print and electronic media before and during awareness week.
TV and radio interviews of members of the Cyprus Cardiology Society in all major local TV & radio channels
Awareness kiosk down-town the capital city, Nicosia for 2 days (heart failure educational leaflets, blood pressure and pulse measurement by cardiologists, children will be drawing hearts on a large white board and offering red carnations and small hearts to adults)
Awareness event (lecture) at the Presidential Palace for patients, public ,policy makers and MPs under the auspices of the First Lady of the country, Mrs Andri Anastasiades.

All activities will be under the auspices of the Ministry of Health. The Minister of Health will be invited to address the event at the Presidential Palace. Members of the parliamentary health committee will be invited to attend the relevant event as well.

The campaign will be supported by the Pancyprian Medical Association, the Nicosia Heart Patients Association, the Pancyprian Federation of Patient Associations & Friends and an organism called the Young Volunteers.

Finland

The heart failure working group of the Finnish Cardiac Society cooperates with the Finnish Heart Association, a public health and patient organisation, and organises events to increase public awareness of heart failure in several local areas of Finland.

These events are intended for patients with heart diseases and their families, the lectures are given by local cardiologists and heart failure nurses. The Finnish Heart Association has made an enquiry of the current state of patients' awareness of heart failure; the results will be announced and discussed at the up-coming events and in local news papers on heart failure awareness day, which will be in Finland on May 10th.

France

9 regions were implicated in the Awareness Days.

Germany

10 heart centres and hospitals throughout Germany participated in the national campaign with a large variety of activities for the public.
Partner was the Deutsche Herzstiftung.
The nation-wide program consisted of three modules:
1. Nationwide Event: Cycling Tour with Heart (7 German cities)
2. Design Competition for Schools on the theme: “My heart in Motion!” (2 German regions)
3. Heart failure information days (open houses) and seminars at the action weekend May 8th to 10th (7 German hospitals participated)

Greece

The HF Working Group of Hellenic Society of Cardiology (HSC) intends to:

Continue the "Hellas Myocarditis Registry" that began 1.5 year ago.
Continue the ongoing "H.S.C. Seminar Program for Residents in Cardiology, 2015-2016". We already held a 2 day (22-23/4/16) Seminar on Heart Failure, attended by Dr Alexandros Douras and ex-President Dr Hrisohou.
Begin a "Registry on HF Treatment in Primary Care". This aims to register the treatments given by Cardiologist in privacy & by G.Ps, far from HF outpatient clinics, and also the compliance of those Drs to the ESC Guidelines for HF Treatment
Organize the one day Seminar of the HF-Working Group, during the annual H.S.C- Working Groups Seminars in Cardiology
Continue the monthly lessons- clinical cases presentations, in join with the Cardio-imaging W.G of H.S.C

Hungary

The Heart Failure Awareness Day will be held in this year on 18th of June in Budapest. (The beginning of May coincides with the National Congress.)

This year we are planning a larger-scale event with the participation of cardiology experts and policy-makers.

The event will be held in one of the largest shopping centres in Budapest. We will organize several entertainment programmes in addition to professional programmes.

Iceland

On 9 May, there will be a lecture at a nurse congress aiming at increased awareness of heart failure. We will have renewal of posters on heart failure in GP offices to remind the population of this disease and the symptoms. We are working on taking part in a radio program during this period.

Ireland

The Irish Cardiac Society released a press release

Israel

We are holding a national conference in Tel Aviv on "The Heart Failure Epidemic", on the 4th May. The conference will address many of the important and everyday aspects of heart failure in the community, from a global perspective to diagnostic methods, organisational models in heart failure care, seamless transitions of the heart failure patient between hospital and community care, co-morbidities including psychological and sexual pathology, treatment, rehabilitation for the heart failure patient, and end-of-life care.
As well as cardiologists (including community cardiologists), many family practitioners and nurses from hospital and community settings will be attending. To date, almost 200 have registered.

Many individual cardiology centres around the country will be holding local activities around those dates, to promote heart failure awareness, including lectures to general public, patients and family caregivers.

For example, on the 9th May, we are holding a day of lectures in the city of Ashkelon in the south, including a basic lecture with explanations on heart disease in general and heart failure in particular, a dietician addressing essential aspects of heart failure nutrition, and a lecture by a clinical pharmacist on medications in heart failure.

Italy

Events will take place in 25 cities all over Italy. You can view this extensive organization on the website www.iltuocuore.com

Latvia

The Heart Failure Working Group of Latvian Society of Cardiology for Heart Failure Awareness day 2016 in collaboration with patients’ organization „Par sirdi” will organize a public event „Mobile Heart Failure Clinic” in the square next to the shopping centre „Origo”on May 7. Cardiologists, residents and students will be involved. During this event, we will offer blood pressure and heart rate measurements, 6 min. walking tests etc. For all visitors printed leaflets regarding heart failure symptoms and next steps to establish diagnosis will be available. We plan a short questionnaire for attendees as well.

On 6 May, the President of the Latvian Society of Cardiology, Professor Andrejs Erglis, the chairperson of HFWG, Ginta Kamzola, and the Head of the patients’ organization „Par sirdi”, Inese Mauriņa, are going to give an interview during the radio programme „How to live better?” to improve heart failure awareness.

A new article regarding heart failure awareness is included in the Spring edition of „Sirds un veselība” (Heart and Health). The information about Heart Failure Awareness day throughout Europe will spread via radio and websites.

Over the last few months, cardiologists have given lectures regarding heart failure issues in meetings of pulmonologists, endocrinologists etc.

Lebanon

The programme of the Lebanese Heart Failure Working Group includes:

Heart failure awareness lectures in the different Lebanese regions targeting physicians. We already performed one awareness lecture about end stage heart failure.
Awareness campaign in the different Lebanese hospitals, consisting of explanations, booklets distribution, and others in the lobbies of the hospitals, as well as lectures addressed to patients
Awareness campaign in the most popular mall in Bayreuth, all day on May 7, as well as malls in the different regions on May 8.
Launching of the official Heart Failure Working Group of the Lebanese Society of Cardiology website
Awareness video filmed by very young patients who had LVAD as bridge to transplantation to stimulate organ donation
Finally we plan to start our national HF registry

All the events will be covered by media

Lithuania

Heart failure is ruthlessly stealing people from our families; therefore Lithuania is increasing fighting forces against this epidemic disaster. Accordingly, the Lithuanian Society of Cardiology (LSC), the Working Group on Heart Failure (WG HF) of the LSC and the Heart Failure Specialists of Tomorrow (HoT) listed several important events in 2016. Our main purposes are not only to increase the knowledge about the HF, but also to move healthcare professionals and supporting facilities closer to patients and their family members.

As a result of last year efforts of LSC WG HF, the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania released the regulation statement on new heart failure services which include specialized nursing and education of patients in vulnerable phase. This year both Lithuanian universities already conducted training courses for nurses and cardiologists “The specialized care of HF patients”. We were honored to welcome Dr Jillian Riley delivering lectures about HF care innovations in Vilnius University. Twenty six teams of nurses and doctors completed two months full-time training courses and received HF specialist certificates. These people will provide specialized HF care, and Ministry of Health invites these teams together with institutions’ administrators for special event to commemorate HF awareness day and to push forward the new service. During this event in the Ministry we hope to learn the new numbers of epidemiology and costs of HF in the country from National Insurance Fund and Hygiene institute.

To increase knowledge about the HF, ability to recognize early deterioration of the disease and seek healthcare professional advice we are planning to provide the specialized website. Together with Germany HF Competence network, seven largest cardiac centers go on with conducting a survey of public HF knowledge, this year with emphasize on COPD comorbidity.

For the European HF Awareness day we organized the annual press conference in the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania (Seimas). During the event held on 4^th of May we conducted discussion about growing incidence of HF, high admission and readmission rates, the length of hospital stays and financial burden. The participants debated what else has to be done to reduce mortality and most importantly to improve the quality of life of patients with HF and their family members.

Ordinary, we will arrange two public events in the largest cities of Lithuania: Vilnius (6^th May) and Kaunas (8^th May). Both events will be held in the large shopping malls. The major strength in these events will be our youngest and largest part of medical community – medical students and cardiology residents. During these events HF nurses will be introduced to our public society. Moreover, all citizens will have an opportunity to discuss their risk factors and lifestyle corrections with health specialists.

As every year, educative articles and video clips are permanently updated and published in the national press and websites.

Moldova

The working group on heart failure organised events in four areas:

Public Event/Open clinic
TV & radio coverage
Newspaper & website coverage
Printed material for patients

Poland

On May 8, 2016 in beautiful square, overlooking the Vistula river bank (the Square of the 1st Armored Division Army) at the foot of the Old Town in Warsaw, we celebrated the Heart Failure Awareness Day. The main objective of the celebration was to raise public awareness of the growing problem of heart failure.
During the celebration the active part play: doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and dietitians from the Institute of Cardiology. We shared the basic knowledge of heart disease with particular emphasis on heart failure. We also underlined the importance with regard to preventive health care. All Warsaw residents could take the advantage of the meeting with experts, the basic blood and heart examination together with several attractions provided by the organizers.

Portugal

In Portugal, May is the month of the Heart and this year the Portuguese Society of Cardiology and the Portuguese Heart Association chose heart failure as the topic for the month. The Heart Failure Working Group of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology will cooperate with the Portuguese Heart Association in organizing events for health professionals, patients with heart failure, relatives, caregivers, and the public in general, to increase the knowledge and understanding about heart failure symptoms, signs and treatment. A heart failure awareness campaign will be organized on a national level, during the whole month:

Symposia and Workshops for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals about heart failure, epidemiology, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, role of education…
On 5-6th May, heart failure doctors and heart failure patient representatives will have media appearances in the national and local television, radio and in the press to share their experiences, and for explanations on healthy living and heart failure.
On 6th May, a public event will be held simultaneously in three of the largest squares in Lisbon, Oporto and Evora to emphasize the primary prevention of heart failure, early heart failure symptoms and lifestyle modification for heart failure patients.
Individual centres (Hospital HF Clinics) have organized small local events for patients family and caregivers.
A position paper is in progress in order to support our ambitions for a better national heart failure management programme.
A discussion in Portuguese Parliament, with health care politicians, is planned, to discuss Strategies of Heart Failure Management in the country.
A Portuguese heart failure patient’s group is in progress with the scientific support of the working Group on HF of the Portuguese Society of Cardiology, and is involved in most of the public actions.

Romania

On 6th-7^thMay, the Romanian Heart Failure Working Group organised a meeting in Arad ( near Timisoara) and Sibiu involving the specialists in cardiology, house doctors, nurses and patients. You can see the full report on the press conference, TV debate, radio programmes, newspaper reports and open days as well as looking at the Romainian Heart Foundation website: www.romanianheart.ro/en/

Turkey

The Turkish Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Working Group proposes the following events:

Turkish 2016 version of Heart Failure Awareness Day posters will be sent to primary care centers and public, private and university hospitals
Survey on heart failure awareness which is endorsed by the Heart Failure Association is translated to Turkish language and will be filled by patients and lay people joining Heart Failure Awareness activities in different cities and centers throughout the country
Heart failure information brochure will be distributed to the patients admitted to outpatient departments
A newsletter about Heart Failure Awareness Day will be prepared and sent all members of the Turkish Society of Cardiology
Announcement of the Heart Failure Awareness Day and web banner will take place on the official website of Turkish Society of Cardiology (www.tkd.org.tr)
Board members from the Heart Failure Working Group will give interviews about the definition, symptoms, signs, causes, treatment and prevention of heart failure on national and local TV channels to raise public awareness of heart failure
Newspaper announcements of the Heart Failure Awareness Day will be published and also newspaper interviews will be scheduled for rising public awareness of risk factors for Heart Failure.

United Kingdom

Events will take place in many areas of the UK. A Symposium on May 6, will take place at the Clinical Education Centre, Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.

“Heart failure syndrome – not just the heart”

09.30 – 10.15 Heart failure at the front door - Prof Squire.

10.15 – 11.00 Heart Failure Emergencies - Dr Nicolson.

11.00 – 11.30 Infiltrative Cardiomyopathies - Dr Loke.

12.00 – 12.30 The lungs and the failing heart - Dr Evans.

12.30 – 13.00 The Brain and the failing heart - Dr Harper.

14.00 – 14.45 The liver and the failing heart - Dr Delahooke.

14.45 – 15.15 The kidneys and the failing heart - Dr Barratt.

15.15 – 15.45 2 Case presentations - Dr Stanley / Louise Clayton