Revista española de cardiología (English ed.)
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Rev Esp Cardiol (Engl Ed) · May 2017
Multicenter StudyPrognostic Impact of Physician Specialty on the Prognosis of Outpatients With Heart Failure: Propensity Matched Analysis of the REDINSCOR and RICA Registries.
The specialty treating patients with heart failure (HF) has a prognostic impact in the hospital setting but this issue remains under debate in the ambulatory environment. We aimed to compare the clinical profile and outcomes of outpatients with HF treated by cardiologists or internists. ⋯ Age, sex, LVEF and comorbidities were major determinants of specialty-related referral in HF outpatients. An in-depth propensity matched analysis showed significantly lower 9-month mortality in the cardiologist cohort.