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Guidelines for sites linking to mayoclinic.orgOne way to evaluate the care of patients diagnosed with heart failure is to look at the percentage of patients receiving each of the measures appropriate for them. The goal is 100 percent.
The graph below displays the percentage of eligible Mayo Clinic patients diagnosed with heart failure receiving all of the appropriate care measures.
Check or uncheck the legend icons to view or hide data.
The quality measures listed in the table below are known as the "standards of care" for heart failure. This list includes the medical care widely accepted as the most appropriate form of treatment for the majority of patients diagnosed with heart failure.
| Standards of care for heart failure | Explanation of this care |
|---|---|
| Percent of heart failure patients with left ventricular function (LVF) assessment | An LVF assessment is a measure of how well the heart is pumping. An echocardiogram is often used to determine LVF. |
| Percent of heart failure patients given angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) at discharge for left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) | The use of an ACE inhibitors or ARBs for these particular heart failure patients improves symptoms and reduces the risk of death and other complications. |
| Percent of heart failure patients given adult smoking cessation advice during their hospital stay | Smoking cessation reduces health complications and death in all populations. Patients who receive smoking cessation advice from their care providers are more likely to quit. |
| Percent of heart failure patients given discharge instructions | These instructions help ensure heart failure patients and their families understand dietary and activity recommendations, prescribed medication regimen, daily weight monitoring, the signs and symptoms of worsening heart failure, and follow-up care. |
| Appropriate care measure (ACM) | The appropriate care measure reflects the percentage of heart failure patients who received all the care interventions for which they were eligible. In other words, the best care possible. The ACM is a pass-fail measure at the individual patient level that asks whether an eligible patient has received all of the appropriate care for the condition for which he or she is being treated. |
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