Committed To Quality
HEART ATTACK
Overview
Acute Myocardial Infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, happens when the blood supply to part of the heart is cut off, causing some of the heart cells to die. AMI is often the result of plaque breaking off the artery walls and causing a blockage in the coronary artery. Untreated, AMI can lead to the damage and/or death of heart muscle tissue.
Specific Measures
Heart Attack Patients Given Aspirin At Arrival
| AMI -1 | Heart Attack Patients Given Aspirin at Arrival | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 100% | 99% |
Why is this Important?
The heart is a muscle that gets oxygen through blood vessels. Sometimes blood clots can block these blood vessels, and the heart can’t get enough oxygen. This can cause a heart attack. Chewing an aspirin as soon as symptoms of a heart attack begin may help reduce the severity of the attack. This chart shows the percent of heart attack patients who were given (or took) aspirin within 24 hours of arrival at the hospital. Higher percentages are better.
Heart Attack Patients Prescribed Aspirin at Discharge
| AMI -2 | Heart Attack Patients Prescribed Aspirin at Discharge | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 99% | 99% |
Why is this Important?
Blood clots can block blood vessels. Aspirin can help prevent blood clots from forming or help dissolve blood clots that have formed. Following a heart attack, continued use of aspirin may help reduce the risk of another heart attack. Aspirin can have side effects like stomach inflammation, bleeding, or allergic reactions. Talk to your health care provider before using aspirin on a regular basis to make sure it’s safe for you. Higher percentages are better.
Heart Attack Patients Given ACE Inhibitor or ARB for Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction
| AMI -3 | Heart Attack Patients Given ACE Inhibitor or ARB for Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 96% | 97% |
Why is this Important?
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) are medicines used to treat patients with heart failure and are particularly beneficial in those patients with heart failure and decreased function of the left side of the heart. Early treatment with ACE inhibitors and ARBs in patients who have heart failure symptoms or decreased heart function after a heart attack can also reduce their risk of death from future heart attacks. ACE inhibitors and ARBs work by limiting the effects of a hormone that narrows blood vessels, and may thus lower blood pressure and reduce the work the heart has to perform. Since the ways in which these two kinds of drugs work are different, your doctor will decide which drug is most appropriate for you. If you have a heart attack and/or heart failure, you should get a prescription for ACE inhibitors or ARBs if you have decreased heart function before you leave the hospital. Higher percentages are better.\
Heart Attack Patients Given Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling
| AMI -4 | Heart Attack Patients Given Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 99% | 100% |
Why is this Important?
Smoking increases your risk for developing blood clots and heart disease that can result in a heart attack, heart failure or stroke. Smoking causes your arteries to thicken and your blood vessels to narrow. Fat and plaque stick to the walls of your arteries, which makes it harder for blood to flow. Reduced blood flow to your heart may result in chest pain, high blood pressure, and an increased heart rate. Smoking is also linked to lung disease and cancer, and can cause premature death. It is important that you get information to help you quit smoking before you leave the hospital. Quitting may help prevent another heart attack. Higher percentages are better.
Heart Attack Patients Given Beta Blocker at Discharge
| AMI -5 | Heart Attack Patients Given Beta Blocker at Discharge | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 99% | 99% |
Why is this Important?
Beta blockers are a type of medicine that is used to lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, and to help prevent a heart attack. Beta blockers relieve the stress on your heart by slowing the heart rate and reducing the force with which your heart muscles contract to pump blood. They also help keep blood vessels from constricting in your heart, brain, and body. If you have a heart attack, you should get a prescription for a beta blocker before you leave the hospital.
Higher percentages are better.
Heart Attack Patients Given PCI Within 90 Minutes Of Arrival
| AMI -8a | Heart Attack Patients Given PCI Within 90 Minutes of Arrival | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 92% | 92% |
Why is this Important?
The heart is a muscle that gets oxygen through blood vessels. Sometimes blood clots can block these blood vessels, and the heart cannot get enough oxygen. This can cause a heart attack. Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) are procedures that are among the most effective ways to open blocked blood vessels and help prevent further heart muscle damage. A PCI is performed by a doctor to open the blockage and increase blood flow in blocked blood vessels. Improving blood flow to your heart as quickly as possible lessens the damage to your heart muscle. It also can increase your chances of surviving a heart attack. There are three procedures commonly described by the term PCI. These procedures all involve a catheter (a flexible tube) that is inserted, often through your leg, and guided through the blood vessels to the blockage. The three procedures are:
- Angioplasty - a balloon is inflated to open the blood vessel.
- Stenting - a small wire tube called a stent is placed in the blood to hold it open.
- Atherectomy - a blade or laser cuts through and removes the blockage.
Higher percentages are better.
Heart Attack Patients Prescribed Statin at Discharge
| AMI -10 | Heart Attack Patients Prescribed Statin at Discharge | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 98% | 97% |
Why is this Important?
Statins are a type of medicine that is used to lower blood cholesterol, to help prevent a heart attack. If you have a heart attack, you should get a prescription for a statin medication before you leave the hospital, since most patients with a heart attack are good candidates for this therapy.
Higher percentages are better.
HEART FAILURE
Overview
Heart Failure is a condition where a problem with the structure or function of the heart makes it unable to pump enough blood to meet all the needs of the body. Heart failure is not the same as a heart attack, but it can be the result of a heart attack.
Specific Measures
Heart Failure Patients Given Discharge Instructions
| HF-1 | Heart Failure Patients Given Discharge Instructions | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 92% | 90% |
Why is this Important?
Heart failure is a chronic condition. It results in symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, and fatigue. Before you leave the hospital, the staff at the hospital should provide you with information to help you manage the symptoms after you get home. The information should include your
· activity level (what you can and can’t do) · diet (what you should, and shouldn’t eat or drink) · medications · follow-up appointment · watching your daily weight · what to do if your symptoms get worse Higher percentages are better.
Heart Failure Patients Given An Evaluation of Left Ventricular Systolic (LVS) Function
| HF-2 | Heart Failure Patients Given An Evaluation of LVS Function | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 99% | 98% |
Why is this Important?
The proper treatment for heart failure depends on what area of your heart is affected. An important test is to check how your heart is pumping, called an “evaluation of the left ventricular systolic function.” It can tell your health care provider whether the left side of your heart is pumping properly. Other ways to check on how your heart is pumping include:
- your medical history
- a physical examination
- listening to your heart sounds
- other tests as ordered by a physician (like an ECG (electrocardiogram), chest x-ray, blood work, and an echocardiogram)
Higher percentages are better.
Heart Failure Patients Given ACE Inhibitor or ARB For Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD)
| HF-3 | Heart Failure Patients Given ACE Inhibitor or ARB For Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD) | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 98% | 94% | 95% |
Why is this Important?
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) are medicines used to treat patients with heart failure and are particularly beneficial in those patients with heart failure and decreased function of the left side of the heart. Early treatment with ACE inhibitors and ARBs in patients who have heart failure symptoms or decreased heart function after a heart attack can also reduce their risk of death from future heart attacks. ACE inhibitors and ARBs work by limiting the effects of a hormone that narrows blood vessels, and may thus lower blood pressure and reduce the work the heart has to perform. Since the ways in which these two kinds of drugs work are different, your doctor will decide which drug is most appropriate for you. If you have a heart attack and/or heart failure, you should get a prescription for ACE inhibitors or ARBs if you have decreased heart function before you leave the hospital.
Higher percentages are better.
Heart Failure Patients Given Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling
| HF-4 | Heart Failure Patients Given Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling | Metro West Medical Center Performance | MA State Performance | National Performance |
| | | 100% | 98% | 99% |
Why is this Important?
Smoking increases your risk for developing blood clots and heart disease, which can result in a heart attack, heart failure or stroke. Smoking causes your blood vessels to thicken. Fat and plaque then stick to the wall of your blood vessels, which makes it harder for blood to flow. Reduced blood flow to your heart may result in chest pain, high blood pressure, and an increased heart rate. Smoking is linked to lung disease and cancer, and can cause premature death. It is important for your health that you get information to help you quit smoking before you leave the hospital.
Higher percentages are better
Data:HQA:Hospital Clinical Process Measures: Second Quarter 2010-First Quarter 2011 Discharges
MHA and MONE Launch Updated Patient Safety and Quality Web Site
Effort Dedicated to Senator Edward Kennedy
In a tribute to the memory of Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy who was a longtime champion of healthcare related issues, the Massachusetts Hospital Association (MHA) and Massachusetts Organization of Nurse Executives (MONE) have launched an updated patient safety and quality website as part of their rebranded PatientCareLink commitment to care.
MHA and MONE were co-sponsors of PatientsFirst – the 2005 groundbreaking healthcare transparency effort to improve patient care quality and safety –and are pleased and enthusiastic to welcome web visitors to the program’s next generation.
Just like its predecessor, PatientCareLink is dedicated to voluntarily providing patients, families and caregivers with the most transparent information available on care provided at Massachusetts hospitals. But in addition to its new name, the PatientCareLink website has also been redesigned to make it easier than ever for the public to access important quality and safety information from Massachusetts hospitals, and to help patients and their families become more active participants in the care they receive.
"PatientsFirst was a first-in-the-nation effort to bring transparency to healthcare. The time was now right to take the next step forward in that commitment by updating the site with state-of-the-art features to make the information more comprehensive, user-friendly and relevant to today’s patient and family. We also felt this was a fitting way to pay tribute to Senator Kennedy’s lifelong commitment and tireless work in the pursuit of quality, affordable healthcare," said MHA President & CEO Lynn Nicholas, FACHE.
"As patients and healthcare consumers, it is essential that we protect ourselves and our loved ones through the promotion of patient safety," said State Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge). "PatientCareLink offers a vital tool for all of us to use in advancing transparency and accessibility within our healthcare system."
The PatientCareLink site now offers broader information, advanced resources, a fresher look and easy-to-navigate landscape, and a contemporary feel. Through the increased wealth of information on this new website, healthcare workers, patients and their families can see how individual hospitals score on dozens of measures, from falls in hospitals to heart attack care, and treatment for pneumonia.
"PatientCareLink has evolved into a forum that goes beyond the statistics to offer in-depth insight into the care Massachusetts hospitals provide," said Sharon Gale, RN, MS, Executive Director of MONE. "You'll also see success stories on the site about the day-to-day work hospitals accomplish to improve healthcare quality, and contemporary information on today's healthcare workforce, and on what hospitals and nurse managers are doing to educate the next generation of nurses."
The site can be reached at www.patientcarelink.org.