GRASP-HF is a repetitive snapshot with a yearly short enrolment period, to capture the relevant clinical information of patients with HF, including their acute episodes of decompensation. This study improves the knowledge on epidemiology and outcomes of real-world HF patients.

Information collected by the GRASP-HF study assesses adherence to the ESC HF Guidelines focusing on Quality Indicators, in both chronic and acute HF.

For that reason, the GRASP-HF snapshot study evolves in parallel with the long-term HFA initiative – ICARe-HF: the Improving Care through Accreditation and Recognition in Heart Failure (ICARe-HF) programme. ICARe-HF is an international accreditation programme for heart failure centres which is about improving patient outcomes by raising standards in care facilities and recognising those that apply best practices. The GRASP-HF snapshot study serves to verify the performance of individual centres through data collection of real-world patient data. If a centre meets or exceeds the performance standards, it will be accredited as an HFA Quality of Care Centre (QCC).

Find out more about the benefits of the ICARe-HF programme.

Objectives

The general objectives of the GRASP-HF snapshot study are:

  1. To provide a better understanding of medical practice based on real-world data, collected both across Europe and the rest of the world, using robust methodology and representation within each country.
  2. To assess contemporary patterns of HF management in practice and to assess adherence to the ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic heart failure, and how these patterns relate to outcomes.
  3. To check the ability of HFA Quality of Care Centres (QCC) to continuously improve patient care.

Characteristics

This observational study is based on the consecutive enrolment (every consecutive patient with chronic or acute HF) of patients presenting to cardiology centres internationally.

From 2025, centres will be invited to join the GRASP-HF data collection only as part of the ICARe-HF accreditation programme i.e., for initial accreditation and reaccreditation purposes every 2 years.

Population

All adult patients with chronic or acute heart failure, regardless of ejection fraction, either:

  • Outpatient with chronic HF (including first-time diagnosis), according to the clinical judgment, or
  • Patients admitted to hospital or presenting to an emergency department or acute out-patient care for acute HF for whom an IV (diuretics, inotropes, vasodilators) or mechanical therapy for HF (mechanical circulatory support) is administered.