Email this page- Choosing Us
- Our Commitment to Quality
- Quality Measures
- Heart Attack
- Overview
- Aspirin on admission
- Beta blocker on admission
- Aspirin at discharge
- Beta blocker at discharge
- ACEI or ARB at discharge for patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction
- Smoking cessation
- Availability of PTCA
- Inpatient mortality for heart attacks
- Length of stay for heart attack patients
- Lipid-lowering therapy at discharge
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol assessment
- Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)
- Overview
- Number of PTCA procedures performed annually
- Number of interventional cardiologists exceeding guidelines for individual physician volume for PTCA
- Board certification of interventional cardiologists
- Average length of stay for PTCA
- Data bank reporting of PTCA
- Inpatient mortality rate for PTCA
- Advanced techniques: Use of drug-eluting stents
- Coronary Bypass Surgery (CABG)
- Overview
- Annual surgical volume for CABG procedures
- Board certification of cardiothoracic surgeons
- Number and type of advanced surgical techniques/interventions for cardiac revascularization
- Percentage of CABG procedures performed using internal mammary artery grafts
- Percentage of CABG patients receiving prophylactic antibiotics within one hour prior to surgical incision
- Percentage of CABG patients with aspirin prescribed at discharge
- Percentage of CABG patients with statin prescribed at discharge
- Inpatient mortality rate for CABG
- Heart Failure
- Pneumonia
- Robotic Prostatectomy
- Stroke
- Overview
- Around-the-clock brain imaging
- Around-the-clock radiologist available to interpret brain imaging studies
- Stroke disease management program: Availability and type
- Use of tPA for stroke
- Board certification of neurologists
- Patient and community education
- Inpatient mortality for stroke patients
- Average length of stay for stroke patients
- Comprehensive stroke center
- Stroke rehabilitation program
- Aspirin administration within 48 hours from onset of stroke
- Antithrombotic medication prescribed at discharge for stroke patients
- Vascular neurologist availability
- Heart Attack
- Glossary of Terms
Quality Measures
A quality measure, also referred to as a quality indicator, is a formula that converts medical information from patient records into a rate, or percentage, that shows how well a hospital cares for its patients.
Quality indicators are considered the best measures for determining whether or not you will receive quality care for your medical condition. Many of the indicators we use at Strong incorporate existing quality measures that have been established and accepted by national or professional organizations and government agencies.
Quality measures can help consumers rate the performance of hospitals, health professionals, and physicians. They assess healthcare:
- Structure, such as types and availability of services
- Processes, such as giving antibiotics prior to and after certain surgical procedures
- Outcomes, like infection rates, mortality, and length of stay in the hospital
Research helped to determine the established or emerging quality measures for many of the procedures and medical conditions listed on our site related to heart health and stroke, for example. For each procedure or medical condition, published standards are provided. These quality statements provide information you may use to help make more informed decisions about your healthcare.
Quality measures are provided for each of the topics at left. In addition, you will find information about the sources used to establish each quality measure. This information is provided to assist you in assessing Strong’s ability to provide quality healthcare for you, and for your loved ones.
Third Party Comparisons
There are many organizations offering consumer “report cards” on healthcare quality. Their sites compare hospital services for medical conditions, based on mortality, or death rates, for those conditions.