Background The characteristics and outcomes of patients discharged from hospitals with a diagnosis of heart failure (HF) have been described by a number of previous epidemiological studies. However, very little information is available on this issue in general practice in Japan. Methods and Results The Japanese Cardiac Registry of Heart Failure in General Practice (JCARE-GENERAL) is designed to study the characteristics, treatment and outcomes prospectively in a broad sample of outpatients with HF who were managed by cardiologists in hospital (Hospital-HF) and primary care physicians in general practice (GP-HF). Out of 2,685 patients with HF, 1,280 patients were Hospital-HF and 1,405 GP-HF. Compared to the Hospital-HF patients, GP-HF patients were more likely to be elderly and female, and they had a higher prevalence of hypertensive heart disease as a cause of HF. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers and β-blockers were more prescribed to Hospital-HF than GP-HF patients. At the follow-up of 1.2 year, after adjustment, the mortality was comparable between the Hospital-HF and GP-HF groups, whereas HF-related admission was higher in the Hospital-HF group than in in the GP-HF group. Conclusions Based on the JCARE-GENERAL, the characteristics, treatment and outcomes of GP-HF patients differed from those of Hospital-HFpatients in Japan. (Circ J 2007; 71: 449 - 454)