The recruitment core will serve as the primary means of recruitment of qualifying heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patients for the program project grant. Potential patients will be identified from both a dedicated HFpEF clinic at UT Southwestern as well as electronic medical record databases that can be screened for specific inpatient hospitalization codes with over 2,000 unique HFpEF hospitalizations. Screening criteria will focus primarily on objective documentation of heart failure admission with evidence for volume overload, either by chest x-ray or exam, in addition to echocardiographic markers of diastolic dysfunction. The recruitment core will also serve as a point of contact for subjects. Recruitment, scheduling, follow up of subjects will be done by the core.
Patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) comprise a diverse group with varying types and severity of co-morbid conditions. The purpose of the recruitment core will be to provide a centralized and rigorous screening mechanism for patients who have a clearly documented hospitalization for HFpEF, impaired left ventricular relaxation and evidence for congestion but also meet none of the exclusion criteria. The recruitment core is essential to the success of the overall program project given the large number of subjects that will be studied in addition to coordinating subject testing and study completion.
