Heart Attack Care

Aspirin at arrival
Heart attack patients receiving aspirin when arriving at the hospital. This measure reports what percent of heart attack patients receive aspirin within 24 hours before or after they arrive at the hospital. Aspirin is beneficial because it reduces the tendency of blood to clot in blood vessels of the heart and improves survival rates.

Aspirin prescribed at discharge
Heart attack patients who receive a prescription for aspirin when being discharged from the hospital. This measure reports how often aspirin was prescribed to heart attack patients when they are leaving a hospital. Aspirin is beneficial because it reduces the tendency of blood to clot in blood vessels of the heart and improves survival rates.

Beta blocker at arrival
Heart attack patients who receive a medicine called a "beta blocker" when they arrive at the hospital. This measure reports what percent of heart attack patients - within 24 hours after arrival were prescribed a special type of medicine that reduces heart damage.

Beta blocker prescribed at discharge
Heart attack patients who have a medicine called a "beta blocker" prescribed when they are discharged from the hospital. This measure reports what percent of heart attack patients were prescribed a special type of medicine when leaving the hospital, that has been shown to reduce further heart damage.

ACE Inhibitor or ARB medications at discharge for heart patients
Heart attack patients who receive a prescription for a medicine called an "ACE inhibitor" when they are discharged from the hospital. This measure reports what percent of heart attack patients who have problems with the heart pumping enough blood to the body were prescribed medicines to improve the heart's ability to pump blood.

Advice for heart attack patients to quit smoking
Heart attack patients who are given advice about stopping smoking while they are in the hospital. This measure reports what percent of adult heart attack patients are provided advice and/or counseling to quit smoking. Smoking harms the heart, lungs and blood vessels and makes existing heart disease worse.

Time to treat Percutaneous Coronar Intervention (PCI)
Heart attack patient with a clogged artery in the heart that is opened with a balloon therapy called PCI within 120 minutes of hospital arrival. This measure reports how quickly heart attack patients had a clogged artery in the heart opened with a balloon therapy called PCI to increase blood flow to the heart and reduce heart damage. Lack of blood supply to heart muscle can cause lasting heart damage. In certain types of heart attacks, a small balloon is threaded into a blood vessel in the heart to open up a clogged artery that keeps the blood from flowing to the heart muscle. It is important that this therapy be given quickly after a heart attack is diagnosed.

In-hospital mortality rate
Death of a patient with a heart attack during a hospital stay. This measure reports heart attack patients who die during their hospital stay. This measure accounts for the fact that some patients are sicker or have other preexisting conditions that make death more likely. This is called "risk adjustment."

Heart Failure Care

Assessment of left ventricular function
Heart failure patients who have had the function of the main pumping chamber of the heart (i.e., left ventricle) checked during their hospitalization. This measure reports what percent of patients with heart failure receive an in-depth evaluation of heart muscle function in order to get the right treatment for their heart failure.

ACE Inhibitor of ARB medications at discharge for heart failure patients
Heart failure patients who receive a prescription for a medicine called an "ACE inhibitor" when they are discharged from the hospital. Most patients who have heart failure and who take ACE inhibitor medicine have less symptoms, are physically better, and reduce their risk of returning to the hospital. The number of patients prescribed this drug is measured.

Discharge instructions
Heart failure patients who receive specific discharge instructions about their condition. This measure reports what percent of patients with heart failure are given information about their condition and care when they leave the hospital. Patient education about medicines, diet, activities, and signs to watch for is important in order to prevent further hospitalization.

Advice for heart failure patients to quit smoking
Heart failure patients who are given advice about stopping smoking while they are in the hospital. This measure reports what percent of adult heart failure patients are provided advice and/or counseling to quit smoking. Smoking harms the heart, lungs and blood vessels and makes existing heart disease worse.

Pneumonia Care

Oxygenation assessment
Patients with pneumonia in which the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream was measured. This measure reports how many patients with pneumonia had their blood/oxygen level measured. Pneumonia reduces the amount of oxygen carried in a patient's blood.

Use of blood cultures
Pneumonia patients who have had a blood test for the presence of bacteria in their blood. Before antibiotics are given, blood samples are taken to test for the type of infection. This measure reports the percent of pneumonia patients who receive this test before antibiotics are given.

Blood Cultures - ICU
Pneumonia patients cared for in an intensive care unit that had a blood test for the presence of bacteria in their blood within 24 hours of arriving at the hospital. This measure reports the percent of pneumonia patients in the intensive care unit who had a blood culture within 24 hours prior to or after hospital arrival.

Time to treat with antibiotics - 4 hours
Pneumonia patients who are given an antibiotic within 4 hours of arriving at the hospital. This measure reports the percent of adult pneumonia patients who are given an antibiotic within 4 hours of arriving at the hospital.

Time to treat with antibiotics - 8 hours
Pnuemonia patients who are given an antibiotic within 8 hours of arriving at the hospital. This measure reports the percent of adult pneumonia patients who are given an antibiotic within 8 hours of arriving at the hospital.

Use of appropriate antibiotics – ICU patient
Patients in intensive care units who have community-acquired pneumonia who received the appropriate medicine (antibiotic) that has been shown to be effective for community-acquired pneumonia. This measure reports how often patients in intensive care units with community-acquired pneumonia were given the correct antibiotic within 24 hours of hospital arrival, based on recommendations from written guidelines, for the treatment of pneumonia.

Use of appropriate antibiotics – non ICU patient
Patients not in intensive care units who have community-acquired pneumonia who received the appropriate medicine (antibiotic) that has been shown to be effective for community-acquired pneumonia. This measure reports how often patients with community-acquired pneumonia not cared for in intensive care units, were given the correct antibiotic within 24 hours of hospital arrival, based on recommendations from written guidelines, for the treatment of pneumonia.

Use of pneumococcal vaccine
Pneumonia vaccination. This measure reports how many patients 65 years and older were screened and vaccinated to prevent pneumonia.

Use of influenza vaccine
Pneumonia patients in the hospital during flu season (October through February) who were given the influenza vaccination prior to leaving the hospital. This measure reports how often pneumonia patients in the hospital during the flu season were given flu vaccine if needed, prior to leaving the hospital.

Advice for pneumonia patients quit smoking
Pneumonia patients who are given advice about stopping smoking while they are in the hospital. This measure reports what percent of adult pneumonia patients are provided advice and/or counseling to quit smoking. Smoking harms the heart, lungs and blood vessels and makes existing disease worse.