Disease management of congestive heart failure.

AUDIENCE: This article is designed for primary care physicians, cardiovascular specialists, medical directors, and other managed care administrators responsible for heart failure patients. GOAL: To provide the reader with a basic understanding of heart failure epidemiology, heart failure management, and different strategies for the management of this particular patient population. OBJECTIVES: 1. To describe the impact of heart failure on the healthcare system in the United States. 2. To briefly describe the current practice for managing heart failure. 3. To describe the evidence for care by cardiologists of heart failure patients. 4. To describe the different disease management strategies being utilized in heart failure management.