Interdisciplinary Integration in Heart Failure

A joint statement by the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) and the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN), published on January 27, 2026, emphasizes the value of integrating technology into all facets of heart failure care. The statement aims to provide clinicians with suggestions for a more team-based, forward-thinking, and actionable system of care.

Integrated health technologies (IHTs) have become extremely prominent in heart failure care of late, allowing for timely clinical intervention and facilitating care coordination between disciplines. However, widespread challenges, including suboptimal engagement from patients, digital literacy and access disparities, and poor interoperability, have stymied the uptake process. This document guides clinicians in overcoming these challenges to optimize care.1

In the fourth episode of a 6-part HCPLive Special Report, Adam DeVore, MD, MHS, and Laura Peters, DNP, come together to discuss the intrinsic value of including recent technological advancements in standard clinical care.

During the discussion, panelists emphasized that while technology can extend care beyond the clinic, barriers such as limited broadband access and low digital health literacy remain important concerns. Addressing these challenges begins early in the development and adoption process—identifying the clinical problem a technology is meant to solve and ensuring the tool is designed with the needs of the target patient population in mind. For example, digital interventions can often be adapted to function with lower bandwidth requirements, allowing more patients to benefit from remote care strategies.

The conversation also highlighted the importance of integrating these technologies into a multidisciplinary model of heart failure care. Successful implementation goes far beyond simply embedding a tool within the electronic health record. Instead, it requires coordinated workflows involving nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other members of the care team. Social workers, for instance, may help identify social determinants of health that limit a patient’s ability to engage with digital tools, while nurses can provide hands-on education to ensure patients feel comfortable using applications that track daily weights or blood pressure readings.

Panelists noted that heart failure care has long relied on structured care plans—such as sliding-scale diuretic strategies—to empower patients and reduce unnecessary clinical burden. Digital platforms may extend this concept further by enabling protocolized care pathways based on real-time patient data. With appropriate guidance, patients can take a more active role in managing their condition, while clinicians maintain oversight through scheduled follow-ups or pharmacist-led check-ins.

Ultimately, the panel agreed that leveraging technology in heart failure care will require creativity, collaboration, and a willingness to rethink traditional care delivery models. By engaging the full multidisciplinary team and designing tools that account for real-world barriers, clinicians may be able to deliver faster, more personalized care while ensuring that innovations remain accessible to the diverse populations they serve.

Our Panelists:

• Adam DeVore, MD, MHS, is an associate professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Duke University School of Medicine, as well as the medical director of the Duke Heart Transplant program.
• Laura Peters, DNP, is an assistant professor of medicine in the advanced heart failure and cardiac transplant section within the division of cardiology at the University of Colorado, as well as a senior clinical instructor in the University of Colorado College of Nursing and the director of the Children’s Hospital Colorado and UCHealth Heart Transplant Transition Program.

Editors’ Note: Peters and DeVore report no relevant disclosures.

References

1. Cajita M, Peters L, Rao VN, et al. Integrated Health Technologies in heart failure: A scientific statement from the Heart Failure Society of America and the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses. Journal of Cardiac Failure. Published online January 27, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.cardfail.2025.08.029

2. Heart Failure Society of America. Integrated Health Technologies in Heart Failure: A Scientific Statement from the Heart Failure Society of America and American Association of Heart Failure Nurses. January 27, 2026. Accessed March 5, 2026. https://hfsa.org/integrated-health-technologies-heart-failure-scientific-statement-heart-failure-society-america-and