Non-pharmacological advice is an important aspect of disease management and is included in recently published ESC guidelines (Lainscak & Keber 2003). The development of heart failure clinics, heart failure units and heart failure programmes, most of which are nurse-led, has increased in developed countries with success (Gonzales et al. 2005). Moreover, observational studies and randomized controlled trials have shown that disease-management programmes can reduce the frequency of hospitalization and can improve QOL and functional status. Patients at high risk for clinical deterioration or hospitalization are likely to benefit from disease management programmes; such interventions are shown to be cost- effective for this patient group (D’Alto et al. 2003, Wright et al. 2003, Shievelv et al. 2005).