Screening for Heart Failure in General Medicine Consultations (DEPISTAGE IC)

Screening for Heart Failure in General Medicine Consultations (FIL-EAS ic Depistage)

Heart failure poses a significant public health challenge due to its high prevalence and the substantial human and financial costs it generates. Furthermore, the lack of clear screening guidelines and challenges in accessing care and multi-professional coordination, contribute to diagnostic delays, leading more patients to seek care in more severe clinical states and requiring direct admission to emergency departments. There is therefore also a major organizational challenge in better managing the entry of patients into the healthcare system. This necessitates the development of structured heart failure screening strategies.

The 2021 European Society of Cardiology (ESC 2021) guidelines on heart failure screening prioritize the identification of at-risk individuals and the early detection of disease manifestations. They suggest that, in high-risk groups, tests such as echocardiography and biomarker measurement (NT-proBNP) should be used to detect heart failure at an early stage, even in the absence of symptoms. The guidelines also delineate specific biomarker thresholds and propose organizational frameworks with defined timelines to facilitate systematic screening.

The implementation of a heart failure screening pathway within primary care involving multi-professional cooperation is therefore warranted.

Stratifying screening based on risk factors and symptomatology is expected to enhance the positive predictive value of the screening process. Furthermore, evaluating the efficacy of this pathway is crucial for establishing a standardized, reproducible clinical protocol suitable for routine primary care practice.

This study is a prospective, multicenter, observational study conducted within the context of routine clinical care.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Heart Failure
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Heart failure screening pathway

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 216

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Var
    • La Cadière-d'Azur, Var, France, 83740
      • Maison de Santé Pluridisciplinaire La Cadière d'Azur
    • La Farlède, Var, France, 83210
      • Maison de Santé Pluridisciplinaire La Farlède
    • La Seyne-sur-Mer, Var, France, 83500
      • Maison de Santé Pluridisciplinaire Caduceus
    • Le Beausset, Var, France, 83330
      • Maison de Santé Pluridisciplinaire Beaussetanne
    • Solliès-Pont, Var, France, 83210
      • Maison de Santé Pluridisciplinaire Vallée du Gapeau - Sollies-Pont
    • Toulon, Var, France, 83000
      • Maison de Santé Pluridisciplinaire Toulon City

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients aged 65 years or older participating in the heart failure screening pathway in general medicine consultations

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patient consulting in general practice.
2. Aged 65 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Known heart failure.
2. Patient who has already consulted a cardiologist within the last 12 months.
3. Patient opposition to participate in the study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Patients participating in the heart failure screening pathway in general medicine consultations	Other: Heart failure screening pathway; Heart failure screening pathway in general medicine consultations (questionnaire, NT-proBNP level, echocardiographic examination)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Rate of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of heart failure	i.e. patients with at least one "yes" box checked in "step 1" and "step 2" of the questionnaire, with an NT-proBNP level ≥ 125 pg/ml, and an echocardiographic examination performed by the cardiologist confirming a diagnosis of HF according to the 2021 ESC guidelines.	2 months
Rate of patients with an unconfirmed diagnosis of heart failure	i.e. all of the following patients: Patients with no "yes" boxes checked in steps 1 and 2 of the questionnaire OR one or more "yes" boxes checked but in only one of steps 1 or 2.; Patients with at least one "yes" box checked in "step 1" and "step 2" of the questionnaire but with an NT-proBNP level < 125 pg/ml.	2 months
Rate of patients with an indeterminate diagnosis of heart failure	Absence of all diagnostic criteria.	2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Risk factors for heart failure		Day 1
Presence of dyspnea	Evaluation of the main symptoms of heart failure.	Day 1
Weight gain	Evaluation of the main symptoms of heart failure.	Day 1
Presence of edema	Evaluation of the main symptoms of heart failure.	Day 1
Presence of fatigue	Evaluation of the main symptoms of heart failure.	Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Toulon La Seyne sur Mer
• Collaborators: Roche Diagnostic Ltd.; Cerballiance
• Investigators: Study Director: Jean-Michel Tartière, MD, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal Toulon La Seyne sur Mer

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 14, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 15, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): September 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 4, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 7, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 13, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 10, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: heart failure; care pathway; screening; general medicine; Multi-professional cooperation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Cardiovascular Diseases; Heart Diseases; Heart Failure
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2025-CHITS-003

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No