The Rapid Intervention Clinic is an outpatient clinic for patients with heart disease, including Heart Failure. The goal of the clinic is to assess, treat and educate patients to reduce readmissions to hospital and emergency department visits.
What to expect
When your physician refers you to the Rapid Intervention Clinic, a member of our clinic staff will contact you to book an appointment.
During the appointment, the nurse will review your medical history and your current medications with you. They will ask you about your symptoms and perform a physical exam.
Our clinic staff are pleased to offer
- IV medication
- Blood transfusions for symptom management
- IV fluid
- Dressing changes
- Individualized patient education (for example, heart failure education)
- Community care referrals
- Referrals to allied healthcare providers and supplemental care programs (for example, telehome monitoring, cardiac rehabilitation, social work)
The Rapid Intervention Clinic is an ambulatory clinic at the Heart Institute with washroom access.
As part of the clinical assessment, we may arrange a variety of tests, including blood tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and a chest X-ray. Most treatments in the Rapid Intervention Clinic require the insertion of a peripherally inserted venous catheter in the hand or arm. Treatments in the Rapid Intervention Clinic require variable amounts of time. You will be advised how long the visit will take as well as how many visits may be required.
Patient instructions
- Please bring a complete pharmacy list or all prescribed or over-the-counter medications or supplements you take with you for review at the appointment.
- Please bring any information related to your health, including your daily weights and any recent changes to your water pills made by your cardiology team.
- If you take your weight at the same time each day, please do so prior to the appointment.
- Please discuss with the nurse changes to your daily medication dosing with any treatments.
- Ensure you have access to a copy of your After Visit Summary through MyChart. We can also print a copy to issue to you.
Referrals
- Heart Institute cardiologists and cardiac surgeons must refer patients to the Rapid Intervention Clinic.
Patient resources
- Coming for a clinic appointment
- Heart failure patient guide
- Heart failure daily weight tracker
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Heart failure support and education: The Heart Institute offers a monthly heart failure support group and hosts various heart failure education sessions. Sessions are posted to our events calendar.