Safe Care

Several national research and patient care quality organizations have developed lists of practices that should result in better, safer, more effective care. Measures of “safe care” are collected by examining the percentage of patients who, during their stay, received specific care practices that have been shown to improve outcomes and comparing these percentages to national data. One example of a safe care practice is giving aspirin to any suspected heart attack patient upon arrival at the hospital. See individual measures for more information.

Our Safe Care quality measures are:

Cardiovascular & Thoracic Care 

• Atrial fibrillation treated during mitral valve surgery 
• Beta blockers prescribed at discharge for heart attack patients 
• Bilateral cardiac catheterization rate
• Counseling to stop smoking for heart attack patients 
• Counseling to stop smoking for heart failure patients 
• Evaluation of left ventricular systolic function for heart failure
• Heart attack: aspirin at arrival 
• Heart attack: aspirin prescribed at discharge 
• Heart attack: medication (ACEI, ARB) 
• Heart attack: PCI performed to restore blood flow 
• Heart failure discharge instructions 
• Heart failure medications - ACEI or ARB for LVSD 
• Median time to receive angioplasty (PCI) from hospital arrival

Stroke

• Cholesterol reducing medication prescribed to stroke patients at discharge
• Education for stroke patients and families provided
• Evaluation of stroke patients for rehabilitation care 
• Medication to prevent blood clots for stroke patients timely 
• Medication to prevent blood clots given to stroke patients at discharge 
• Medication to prevent blood clots given to stroke patients with atrial fibrillation at discharge 
• Overall stroke quality measure 
• Prevention of blood clots in stroke patients 
• Stroke treatment started in a timely manner 

Leapfrog Group

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair 
• Heart angioplasty 
• Esophageal resection 
• Heart attack 
• Heart bypass surgery 
• High-risk delivery 
• Pancreatic resection 
• Pneumonia 
• Appropriate intensive care unit staffing 
• Managing serious errors 
• Leapfrog Group: measures of preventing bedsores
• Leapfrog Group: measures of preventing hospital injuries 
• Prevent medication errors 
• Steps to avoid harm 
• Reduce intensive care unit infections 

Pneumonia 

• Pneumonia: counseling to stop smoking 
• Pneumonia: flu vaccine 
• Pneumonia: selection of appropriate antibiotics 
• Pneumonia: timely test for type of infection 
• Pneumonia vaccine 

Nursing

• Patient falls
• Pressure ulcers
• Nursing assessment of patient's skin
• Nursing hours per patient day

Surgical Care

• Inpatient surgical care: appropriate antibiotic before surgery
• Inpatient surgical care: timely antibiotic before surgery
• Inpatient surgical care: antibiotic stopped timely after surgery
• Inpatient surgical care: urinary catheter removed within 48 hours after surgery
• Outpatient surgical care: appropriate antibiotic before surgery
• Outpatient surgical care: timely antibiotic before surgery
• Surgical care: appropriate method of hair removal before surgery 
• Surgical care: beta-blockers given to surgical patients currently on beta-blocker therapy  
• Surgical care: treatment to prevent blood clots 
• Surgical care: treatment to prevent blood clots before surgery 

Other Safe Care Measures

• Appendix removal in the elderly  
• Healthcare workers cleaning hands appropriately 
• Laparoscopic gallbladder removal rate  
• Safe insertion of central lines