Hospital Topics, 92(4):81–87, 2014 Copyright C  Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 0018-5868 print / 1939-9278 online DOI: 10.1080/00185868.2014.968486 Resident Physicians Using Modern Practices for Excellent Documentation and Care in Heart Failure (PUMPED CHF) JAY PATEL, ANNIA COTORRUELO-MARTINEZ, NICOLE GILL-DUNCAN, PHILIPPE LEVEILLE, JULIE M. PEARSON, KELL JULLIARD, and ARCHANA SAXENA Abstract. The most common indication for readmission among Medicare patients is congestive heart failure (CHF). Prior studies underscore the use of residents to bolster hospital- wide programs and reduce CHF readmissions. The authors assessed the effectiveness of a novel online training program designed to improve resident documentation and knowledge related to CHF. The findings suggest that despite a significant increase in knowledge scores following the online educational course, there was only a slight increase in documentation scores. Additional teaching modalities need to be identified to foster resident education and create sustained behavior change. Keywords: congestive heart failure, online education, docu- mentation T he average rate of all-cause readmissions within 30 days of discharge among Medi- care patients is 19.2% and costs approxi- mately $17.5 billion annually (Jencks, Williams, and Coleman 2009). The most common indication for readmission among adults is congestive heart failure (CHF), accounting for nearly 25% of all readmissions (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2013). Several multidisciplinary interven- Jay Patel is a medical student at the St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies. Annia Cotorruelo-Martinez is a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Nicole Gill-Duncan is a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Philippe Leveille is a resident in the Department of Internal Medicine at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Julie M. Pearson is the clinical research manager in the Department of Clinical Research at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Kell Julliard is the assistant vice president for research in the Department of Clinical Research at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Archana Saxena is a cardiologist in the Department of Internal Medicine, Cardiology at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.taylorandfrancis.com/vhos. tions to reduce readmissions have been developed and implemented using a systems-based approach, including transition of care programs, dietary ser- vices, and visiting nurse services (Shah et al. 1998; Lasater 1996; Jack and Bickmore 2011). Multidis- ciplinary interventions are successful at reducing CHF readmissions, and all-cause hospitalizations and mortality when specialized follow-up with a multidisciplinary team is a component of the inter- vention (McAlister et al. 2004). The inclusion of medical residents on these multidisciplinary teams is paramount to improve communication across the care continuum from inpatient to outpatient set- tings. A recent study found a lower rate of readmis- sions among patients tracked by medical residents in a hospital-wide CHF readmission reduction pro- gram, compared to the hospital-wide rate during the same time period (Rabbat et al. 2012). These findings underscore the use of residents to bol- ster hospital-wide programs, improve acute inpa- tient care, and create a shift toward a systems-based 81