Southeast Texas Medical Associates, LLP James L. Holly, M.D. Southeast Texas Medical Associates, LLP


Your Life Your Health - SETMA to implement the HHS Quality Measures for hospitalized patients with heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia
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James L. Holly,M.D.
April 05, 2005
Internal Memo
The Health and Human Services' Quality Measures for hospitalized patients with the following conditions:
  • Heart Attacks
  • Heart Failure
  • Pneumonia
are being built into SETMA's guidelines for admission orders, history and physical examinations and discharge summaries. While we are doing all of the things which are called for in the quality measures, we are not presently tracking that information. We will develop the tools according to our development philosophy:
1. We will make it easier to do it right than not to do it at all.
2. We will make the information easily available to all providers.
3. We will audit the process to make sure that we are doing it well.
Here are the Quality Measures for each and the rationale for the measure which is given to patients on the HHS website:
Heart Failure Quality Measures
  1. Percent of Patients Given ACE Inhibitor for LVSD -- An ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor is a medicine used to treat heart attacks, heart failure, or a decreased function of the heart.
  2. Percent of Patients Given Adult Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling -- Smoking is linked to heart failure. Quitting may help improve your condition.
  3. Percent of Patients Given Assessment of Left Ventricular Function -- An LVF assessment checks how the left chamber of the heart is pumping.
  4. Percent of Patients Given Discharge Instructions -- The staff at the hospital should provide you with information to help you manage your heart failure symptoms when you are discharged.
Pneumonia Care Quality Measures
  1. Percent of Patients Given Adult Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling -- Smoking is linked to pneumonia. Quitting may help prevent you from getting pneumonia again.
  2. Percent of Patients Given Blood Cultures Performed Before First Antibiotic Received -- A blood culture tells what kind of medicine will work best to treat your pneumonia.
  3. Percent of Patients Given Initial Antibiotic Timing (first antibiotic given within 4 hours) -- Antibiotics treat pneumonia caused by bacteria.
  4. Percent of Patients Given Oxygenation Assessment -- Having enough oxygen in your blood is important to your health.
  5. Percent of Patients Given Pneumococcal Vaccination -- A pneumonia (pneumococcal) shot can help prevent pneumonia.
Heart Attack Care Quality Measures
  1. Percent of Patients Given ACE Inhibitor for LVSD -- An ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitor is a medicine used to treat heart attacks, heart failure, or a decreased function of the heart.
  2. Percent of Patients Given Adult Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling -- Smoking is linked to heart attacks. Quitting may help prevent another heart attack.
  3. Percent of Patients Given Aspirin at Arrival -- Aspirin can help keep blood clots from forming and dissolve blood clots that can cause heart attacks.
  4. Percent of Patients Given Aspirin at Discharge -- Taking aspirin may help prevent a heart attack.
  5. Percent of Patients Given Beta Blocker at Arrival -- Beta blockers are a type of medicine used to lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, and to help prevent a heart attack.
  6. Percent of Patients Given Beta Blocker at Discharge -- Beta blockers are a type of medicine used to lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, and to help prevent a heart attack.
  7. Percent of Patients Given PTCA Received Within 90 Minutes Of Arrival -- This procedure is among those that are the most effective for opening blocked blood vessels that cause heart attacks. Doctors may perform this procedure, or give medicine to open the blockage, and in some cases, may do both.
  8. Percent of Patients Given Thrombolytic Agent Received Within 30 Minutes Of Arrival -- Blood clots can cause heart attacks. Doctors may give this medicine, or perform a procedure to open the blockage, and in some cases, may do both.