Heart Failure Quality Measures
According to the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
: "Routine lifelong use of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
[or angiotensin receptor blockers] is recommended for heart failure patients
with depressed ejection fraction [the heart's bottom left chamber pumps 40 percent
or less blood to the rest of the body], unless such use is contraindicated.
Yet a new study shows that nearly half of heart failure patients and one-third
of those with depressed ejection fraction were not prescribed ACE inhibitors
on Hospitals discharge. Almost one-third of patients who were discharged with
ACE inhibitors had stopped taking them within a year. Considering that almost
50 percent of heart failure patients are readmitted to the Hospitals within
6 months of discharge, underuse of ACE inhibitors is a significant problem"
(
Journal of the American College of Cardiology, June 2, 2004: 43(11); 2036-2043
).
Unless otherwise contraindicated, the protocol
includes prescribing an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor
or angiotensin receptor blocker medication for patients with heart failure
at Hospitals discharge.
In 2006, 97 percent of patients with heart failure at St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center received a discharge prescription for an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker medication unless otherwise contraindicated.