Prevention of Future Heart Failure
When the heart’s ability to pump blood is weakened, it can result in heart failure. There are many different types of heart conditions that can cause heart failure.
Prescribing ACE Inhibitors and ARBs on Discharge
What are we measuring?
The percent of patients given ACE Inhibitors or ARB for left ventricular systolic dysfunction.
Why is this important?
Medicines known as ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) Inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) are used to treat heart attacks, heart failure, and problems associated with the left side of the heart. In order to prevent future heart failure and reduce the risk of death, most heart failure patients should receive a prescription for ACE Inhibitors before they are discharged from the hospital.
What is our performance telling us?
The chart below shows how BIDMC's performance compares to an appropriate benchmark. Look for big differences in the scores in order to be sure that the difference is meaningful. Small differences may not reflect real differences in performance (i.e., they may not be statistically significant).
Source of comparison data: HospitalCompare, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, May, 2010.
View our past performance over time.
According to Hospital Compare, 100% of patients with heart failure at the nation's top 10% of hospitals are prescribed ACE Inhibitors and ARBs when discharged. At BIDMC, 93% of patients with heart failure are prescribed ACE Inhibitors and ARBs when discharged. Therefore, BIDMC ranks below the nation's top 10% of hospitals for prescribing ACE Inhibitors and ARBs to heart failure patients when discharged.
Providing Discharge Instructions for Self-Management
What are we measuring?
Percent of heart failure patients given comprehensive discharge instructions for management of symptoms.
Why is this important?
When heart failure patients are discharged from the hospitals, the staff should give them information that helps them manage the symptoms of heart failure including information on medications, weight monitoring, nutrition and diet, management of symptoms worsening, and contact/follow up instructions.
What is our performance telling us?
The chart below shows how BIDMC's performance compares to an appropriate benchmark. Look for big differences in the scores in order to be sure that the difference is meaningful. Small differences may not reflect real differences in performance (i.e., they may not be statistically significant).
Source of comparison data: HospitalCompare, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, May, 2010.
View our past performance over time.
According to Hospital Compare, 100% of heart failure patients at the nation's top 10% of hospitals are provided with instructions for self-management when discharged. At BIDMC, 97% of patients with heart failure were provided with instructions for self-management when discharged. Therefore, BIDMC ranks just below the nation's top 10% of hospitals for providing instructions for self-management to heart failure patients when discharged.
What are we doing to improve our performance?
BIDMC physicians and nurses are working to improve the content and topics within the discharge instructions to help ensure that self-management instructions are reviewed and important information is thoroughly explained to heart failure patients when they are discharged.
Advice to Stop Smoking
What are we measuring?
Percent of patients given smoking cessation advice counseling.
Why is this important?
Heart failure patients who stop smoking have a better prognosis than those who do not quit. By counseling patients to quit at a time when they are likely to be receptive to this message, hospitals can help them reduce their risk of further heart failure and improve their condition.
What is our performance telling us?
The chart below shows how BIDMC's performance compares to an appropriate benchmark. Look for big differences in the scores in order to be sure that the difference is meaningful. Small differences may not reflect real differences in performance (i.e., they may not be statistically significant).
Source of comparison data: HospitalCompare, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, May, 2010.
View our past performance over time.
According to Hospital Compare, 100% of patients with heart failure at the nation's top 10% of hospitals are counseled to stop smoking. At BIDMC, 100% of patients with heart failure are also counseled to stop smoking. Therefore, BIDMC ranks among the nation's top 10% of hospitals for counseling heart failure patients to stop smoking.
What are we doing to improve our performance?
BIDMC physicians and nurses are working to provide patients with advice to stop smoking during their hospital stay and at the time of discharge. The assessment and documentation systems for patients in critical care areas are being updated to include more specific detail about smoking history. This will help identify the need to provide smoking cessation counseling to patients and/or their caregivers.
Other useful specific services measures:
Last updated: July 13, 2010
