Quality Measures > Heart Failure
Heart Failure
Heart Failure is a condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body's other organs. The entire body depends on the oxygen and nutrient-rich blood delivered by the heart for proper function. Heart failure may result from narrowed arteries that supply blood to the heart itself -- coronary artery disease. A past heart attack and/or high blood pressure may also contribute to heart failure.
Measures in this category
Discharge Instructions: Percent of heart failure patients who were given written instructions or educational material at discharge or during the hospital stay that addressed all of the following: activity level, diet, discharge medications, follow-up appointment, weight monitoring, and what to do if symptoms worsen. (Source: CMS)
ACEI or ARB for LVSD: Percent of heart failure patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) and with no medical reason not to take either angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) medication or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) medication who were prescribed an ACEI or an ARB at hospital discharge. (Source: CMS)
Heart Failure Mortality: Death rate of Medicare patients who were admitted to the hospital for heart failure and died within 30 days of hospital admission. The 30-day period is used because this is the time period when deaths are most likely to be related to the care patients received in the hospital. (Source: CMS)
Readmission Rate for Heart Failure (Complication / Infection): Readmission for complication or infection is defined as a rehospitalization with a principal diagnosis of a complication or infection, which occurred within 30 days of the discharge date of the original hospitalization. (Source: phc4.org)
