Heart failure is the number one discharge diagnosis among Medicare beneficiaries. Heart failure becomes more common as people age. Some 80 percent are over age 65. More than 20 percent are not being fully treated. There are approximately 8200 Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure with a total of about 12,400 Medicare inpatient claims each year in Wisconsin.
Physicians are key to treating heart failure and improving rates.
Baseline data indicates doctors in Wisconsin acute care hospitals are assessing for ACE inhibitor use about 83.2 percent of the time. While the percentage is good, there is room for improvement, and we need to remain vigilant in assessing and treating heart failure. As part of the project, MetaStar conducted a series of seminars on rapid cycle improvement using quality indicators for each project category. As a follow-up, Donald Logan, MD, of Dean Medical Center and St. Marys Hospital in Madison discussed the importance of early assessment and prescribing ACE inhibitors in a conference call with collaborators. The value of ACE inhibitors in treating heart failure is clear.