Cardiac Treatment Quality Data

Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)

Emerson Hospital voluntarily participates in national programs to measure our quality and performance, and compare it with other hospitals throughout the state and nation.

The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publish the results of several patient quality measures at hospitals across the U.S. Emerson Hospital participates, including these key areas in which Emerson Hospital participates:

• Aspirin at arrival for heart attack (acute myocardial infarction)
• Discharge instructions for congestive heart failure

Here is how Emerson measures up against other hospitals in Massachusetts and the U.S. on these key measures:
 

Aspirin at Arrival

What this means: This measure shows the percentage of heart attack patients who receive aspirin within 24 hours of arrival at our hospital.

Why this is important: Aspirin is a drug that can help reduce the severity of the heart attack and improve survival rates by lowering the tendency of blood to clot in the vessels.



 

Heart Failure Patients Given Discharge Instructions

What this means: The percentage of patients that receive the patient education booklet and instructions about heart failure management at the time of discharge from the hospital.

Why this is important: Heart failure is a chronic condition that can result in different symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness and water weight gain. Before discharge, the staff at the hospital should provide you with education materials to help you manage these potential symptoms. When these symptoms are not well controlled, CHF can worsen and lead to other serious complications.