Updates in heart failure management for GPs

Join NWMPN and Western Health for the latest updates in heart failure management, including advancements in therapeutics and available support services for GPs.

Heart failure is an increasingly prevalent condition in our ageing population, associated with high rates of morbidity, mortality, and hospital readmissions. Approximately 25 per cent of patients are readmitted within 30 days of hospital discharge. However, appropriate use of guideline-directed medical therapy has been shown to reduce hospitalisation rates and improve survival outcomes.

Over the past five years, heart failure pharmacotherapy has evolved significantly. Medications such as sacubitril/valsartan, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin are now widely used in the management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Despite this, there may be reluctance within the community to up-titrate these therapies, often due to limited familiarity with newer agents.

This webinar is designed to support general practitioners in the diagnosis and management of heart failure, including recognising different phenotypes and identifying when specialist referral is appropriate—particularly to Western Health’s heart failure services.

We will focus on the critical post-hospitalisation period and offer practical guidance on the safe up-titration of heart failure medications in line with current Australian guidelines. Additional topics will include deprescribing potentially harmful medications, implementing flexible diuretic management plans, and optimising patient-centred care.

The webinar will also explore what Western Health community services are available to GPs and how to maximise these in order to support patient recovery and reduce re-hospitalisation risk. 

Speakers

Dr Stav Papapostolou is a cardiologist and the Head of Heart Failure at Western Health. Her interests include heart failure management and advanced cardiac imaging, including echocardiography, coronary CT, and transoesophageal echocardiography. Dr Papapostolou completed the majority of her advanced cardiology training at Alfred Health, followed by a non-invasive cardiac imaging fellowship at Monash Health. She also holds a PhD from Alfred Health, where her research focused on novel applications of cardiac MRI.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify different types of heart failure and understand the key diagnostic criteria to support timely identification in the primary care setting.
• Describe current Australian guidelines to safely initiate and up-titrate heart failure medications, including newer agents.
• Prepare post-discharge management plans that include medication optimisation, flexible diuretic strategies, and deprescribing of potentially harmful therapies.
• Identify common comorbidities, facilitate referrals to cardiac rehabilitation and community services, and understand Western Health services to support GPs and patients.