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Cottage Health System
Quality Report Card
Heart Failure
Nearly 5 million patients in the U.S. have Heart Failure (HF), and approximately 500,000 to 900,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Heart failure is the most common Medicare diagnosis, and more Medicare dollars are spent for the diagnosis and treatment of HF than for any other diagnosis. The scope of the Heart Failure measure set is limited to patients 18 years of age and older because the clinical treatment of younger patients is handled substantially differently.
Heart failure is a condition where the heart muscle is not able to pump blood as well as it should. As a result, extra fluid collects in the legs, feet, ankles or abdomen (leading to swelling) and sometimes in the lungs, making it difficult to breath. Often the heart muscle becomes enlarged as it tries to pump out blood. The overworked heart muscle can't pump as well as healthy heart muscle.
Measure Definitions
Discharge Instructions
To encourage patients to be partners in their own care, all patients being discharged home from the hospital should receive written discharge instructions or educational materials about:
- activity level
- diet
- medications
- follow-up care
- weight monitoring
- what to do if symptoms worsen
Left Ventricular Function Assessment
The left ventricular function assessment measures how well the left side of the heart is able to pump blood to the organs of the body.
ACE Inhibitors/Angiotensin Receptor Blockers
A patient whose heart is not pumping strongly benefits greatly from receiving an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. These medications help to keep you out of the hospital, improve your chances of living longer and make you feel better.
Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling
Patients diagnosed with heart failure who have smoked within the past year should receive smoking cessation advice. Research demonstrates that patients whose health care providers give them advice on quitting smoking are more likely to quit.
