RECARD (REducing hospital re-admission for high-risk CARDiology patients)
The RECARD Project is a multidisciplinary, pharmacist-led 4-year program of work to determine the impact of a transition of care service for high-risk cardiac patients (2023–2027). We are aiming to reduce patient readmission to hospital after a heart attack or heart surgery due to harm from their medication.
This is a multi-site study at 3 tertiary hospitals in Queensland, Australia:
- Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane South
- Royal Brisbane And Women's Hospital in Brisbane North
- Townsville University Hospital in North Queensland.
Australian Government MRFF Grant ID No: MRFMMIP000044.
Chief Investigators
- Professor Michael Barras
- Dr Nazanin Falconer
- Dr Kelvin Robertson
- Associate Professor William Wang
- Dr Shelley Wilkinson
- Dr Jared Miles
- Professor John Atherton
- Dr Centaine Snoswell
- Professor Ian Coombes
- Dr Andrew Jones
- Ms Vivian Bryce, M.Card Nurs, B.Nurs
CI Bryce brings expertise in nursing, community health and Indigenous cardiac care. - Sue Carson, MPH, BPharm
CI Carson brings expertise in Quality Use of Medicine, medication reviews and community transition programs.
Project staff
The project staff are led by Dr Liza Raggatt, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Queensland. Dr Raggatt is responsible for the day to day running of the project.
Other staff include:
- Estelle Jensen
- Phd Student Gloria Chui
- Dr Chariclia Paradassis.
The RECARD Program consists of 3 workstreams:
- Evidence mapping, stakeholder engagement and creating a risk prediction tool.
- Implementation of RECARD Service trial and pre-post evaluation of the RECARD service.
- Economic evaluation and patient assessment of the RECARD service.
The RECARD Service will be a one-year trial of a new transition of care Pharmacist supported by a Nurse Practitioner and an Indigenous Health Worker. They will identify cardiology patients who are at high-risk of readmission and deliver patient-specific interventions on discharge from hospital and over the following 30 days.
Background
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Australia.
- Cardiovascular medicines cause high rates of medication harm.
- Cardiovascular patients are at high risk of unplanned hospital readmissions due to medication harm.
Program goal
Our goal is to prevent and eliminate hospital readmissions due to medication harm, by providing the RECARD service to patients following their stay in hospital, and prior to their interaction with community services.
People and places
The RECARD service involves a multidisciplinary team, including:
- pharmacists
- nurse practitioners
- Indigenous health workers.
The service operates out of the following hospitals:
- Princess Alexandra Hospital
- Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital
- Townsville Hospital
RECARD services
Following their stay in hospital for cardiology care, patients will be given treated via the following services:
- Medication education
- HMR referral
- GP liaison
- Telephone review
- Home visit
Pharmacist-led transition of care services in patients with cardiovascular disease: a systematic scoping review
De Guzman KR, Falconer N, Cottrell N, Coombes ID, Foot H, Koh PW, Wilkinson S, Robertson K, Paradissis C, Wang WYS, Miles JA, Atherton JJ, Snoswell CL, Bryce V, Carson S, Jones AR, Barras MA. Pharmacist-led transition of care services in patients with cardiovascular disease: a systematic scoping review. Cardiology. 2025 Jun 30:1-42. doi: 10.1159/000547172. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40587965.