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Montrose Memorial Hospital
Quality & Core Measures
Heart Failure
Congestive Heart Failure is
a chronic condition in which the heart’s function as a pump
is inadequate to meet the body’s requirements. Because the
‘pump’ is failing, it can cause blood to “back up” which
results in congestion. Congestion leads to fluid build up in
the lungs and other body tissues.
The goal in treating heart failure is to understand the
level of ‘pump failure’ through certain tests, and then to
treat the condition using drugs that are very effective in
assisting the heart to pump better. Another treatment goal
is make sure patients eat a healthy diet which will reduce
fluid build up in the body’s tissues, and to be well
educated around the signs and symptoms of congestion.
About the data
below:
Below you will find 10 graphs reporting on MMH's performance
in the Core Measures relating to Heart Failure. Above each
graph, you will also find helpful definitions and
information that can help you understand the data presented.
In the upper right-hand corner of each, you will notice a
colored octagon-- this is our "stop-sign" system for a
quick glance at how we are doing:
Green =
Meeting Identified Goal of Compliance for Most Current
Month;
Red = Not
Meeting Identified Goal for Most Current Month;
No Color Indicates No Data for the Current Month (it is not
unusual for a small hospital to have "no data" on a
particular indicator due to the small number of cases seen
at the facility).
Heart Failure
Appropriate Care Measures:
Data current
through June 2007
DISCHARGE INSTRUCTIONS : A higher score is better.
What does this mean:
The percentage of patients that receive the patient
education booklet and instructions about heart
failure management at the
time of discharge from the hospital.
Why this is
important:
Heart failure is a chronic condition that can result in
different symptoms such as shortness of breath ,
dizziness and water weight gain.
Before discharge, the
staff at the hospital should provide you with education
materials to help you manage these potential symptoms.
LEFT VENTRICULAR FUNCTION (LVF)
ASSESSMENT: A higher score
is better.
What does this mean:
The percentage of patients given an LVF assessment.
Why this is important:
The proper treatment for heart failure must account for what area of
your heart is affected. With heart failure, the pumping mechanism is
affected and an important test to assess the pumping ability of your
heart is the ‘left ventricular function assessment’. The results of
this test will tell your provider how well your heart is pumping.
ACE INHIBITOR,
or ARB PRESCRIBED FOR LVSD (left ventricular systolic dysfunction):
A higher number is
better.
What this means:
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs(angiotensin
receptor blockers) are medicines used in Heart attack, high blood
pressure and heart failure. They are also frequently used for a
condition called ‘systolic dysfuntion’, which is A decrease in the
function of the left side of the heart. This measure shows the
percentage of heart attack patients prescribed these drugs at
discharge from hospital. Heart attack patients are prescribed this
medicine to help improve the pumping of the heart.
Why this is important:
Patients who have had heart attacks can have better results if they
take this medicine.
SMOKING CESSATION
ADVICE/COUNSELING: A higher score is better.
What this means:
This measure shows how well
a hospital documents the education given to heart attack patients
regarding smoking cessation.
Why this is important:
Smoking is known to cause
damage to the heart, the lungs and the circulatory system. Smoking
makes heart disease worse.
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