Treatment: Receipt of Recommended Care for Heart Attack

There is consensus that recommended care for patients with a heart attack includes administration of aspirin within 24 hours of heart attack and at discharge, beta-blocker within 24 hours of attack and at discharge, ACE inhibitor treatment among patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, and counseling to quit smoking among smokers. The NHQR reports on these measures, as well as a composite of these measures which addresses the rate at which heart attack patients receive recommended care.

Figure 2.12. Receipt of recommended care for heart attack among Medicare patients: overall composite and six components, 2000-2001, 2002, and 2003

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Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Quality Improvement Organization Program, 2000-2001, 2002, and 2003.

• The overall heart attack composite shows significant improvement in the provision of recommended care for Medicare patients with heart attacks from 77.2% of the opportunities to provide recommended care in 2000-2001 to 82.1% in 2003 (Figure 2.12).
• Four of the component measures showed significant improvement, including aspirin at discharge, beta-blocker within 24 hours of admission and at discharge, and counseling for smoking cessation.
• From 2000/2001 to 2003, ACE inhibitor use fell significantly from 73.9% to 68.2%.

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