UMass Memorial Honored with Gold Quality Achievement Award for AFib Care
Thursday, October 05, 2017
The award recognizes the implementation of specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Heart Rhythm Society guidelines for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation.
“This Gold Quality Achievement Award assures our patients and community members that when they come to UMass Memorial Medical Center they are getting A+ level care. Our team of caregivers is dedicated to improving the quality of care for our patients with atrial fibrillation. Implementing the American Heart Association’s Get with The Guidelines-AFib program helps us accomplish this goal by tracking and measuring our success,” said Dave McManus, M.D., director, Atrial Fibrillation Program.
UMass Earns Award
UMass Memorial earned the Gold Award by reaching an aggressive goal of treating atrial fibrillation patients with 85 percent or higher compliance to core standard levels of care.
Quality achievement measures include proper use of medications and aggressive risk-reduction therapies such as safe anticoagulants to prevent stroke.
Also evaluated is the use of medications to stabilize the heart rate and rhythm and other medications needed to treat additional heart diseases.
Before they are discharged, patients receive education on managing their condition and stroke risk, counseling if needed, and plans on follow-up care.
“We are pleased to recognize UMass Memorial Medical Center for their commitment to atrial fibrillation care. Research has shown there are benefits to patients who are treated at hospitals that have adopted the Get with The Guidelines program. Get with The Guidelines research has demonstrated the impact of lowering 30-day readmissions and reducing mortality rates,” said Paul Heidenreich, MD, MS, national chairman of the Get with The Guidelines Steering Committee and professor of medicine at Stanford University.
Atrial Fibrillation
According to the American Heart Association, more than 2.7 million adults suffer from atrial fibrillation. The condition accounts for about one-third of hospitalizations for cardiac rhythm disturbance and is associated with a five-fold increase risk of stroke.
Proper treatment of atrial fibrillation can reduce these risks.
Central Mass Hospitals’ Grades for Safety
Just 50% of the Central Massachusetts hospitals scored a grade of A. The state average in the Commonwealth is just over 60%.
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