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Quality of Care

Heart Failure Measures


What is the source of these Clinical Data comparisons?
Measures of timely and effective care are calculated from data extracted from the medical records of eligible patients, following standard specifications for abstracting and reporting the information. Data submissions include auditing procedures and edit checks to assess whether data submitted are consistent with CMS's defined specifications.


Heart Failure (HF) 30-Day Mortality Rate
·A low number is better

What this means: This measure shows the estimated 30-day death (mortality) rates for heart failure, compared to the U.S. National 30-day death rate for all Medicare patients treated for heart failure. The death rates have been risk-adjusted. This means that they take into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital.

Why is it important: A low mortality rate is one indicator of good patient care process. This measure shows how Upstate Medical University compares to the U.S. National 30-day death rate for all Medicare patients treated for heart failure.

Heart Failure (HF) 30-Day Mortality Rate
Oct '11 - Jun '14

* National Average: CMS - Hospital Compare Website

Heart Failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate
·A low number is better

What this means: This measures the rate of readmitted patients within 30 days of their hospital discharge. "Readmission" is when patients whe have had a recent hospital stay need to go back into the hospital again. Medicare looks at how many heart failure patients need to be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of their discharge. The information tell how the hospital compare to the U.S. National Rate of readmissions for heart attack patients. The rate of readmission is risk-adjusted, meaning it takes into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital for heart failure.

Why is it important: There are many reasons why patients are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of a hospital stay. When a hospital has a lower (better) risk-adjusted rate of readmission, it may mean that the hospital, physician, and other healthcare professions are doing a better job treating patients during their first hospital stay and preparing them for discharge and follow-up care after they leave the hospital.

Heart Failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate
Oct '11 - Jun '14

* National Average: CMS - Hospital Compare Website