Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is the federal government agency that runs Medicare and Medicaid. CMS works with hospitals to report on measures about the care they give. CMS uses medical information from patient records. For more information, visit the CMS web site.

Listed below are the CMS performance measures we use and why they’re important.

Heart Failure

Patients Given ACE Inhibitor or ARB for Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD)

• Drugs called Ace Inhibitors and ARB’s may lower blood pressure and decrease the heart's work load.

Patients Given an Evaluation of Left Ventricular Systolic (LVS) Function

• The right treatment for heart failure depends on what area of the heart is affected.
• An important test to check how your heart is pumping is called "evaluation of the left ventricular systolic function."
• This test can tell your doctor whether the left side of your heart is pumping properly.

Patients Given Discharge Instructions

• Patients with heart failure need to know how to manage their symptoms.
• The staff at the hospital should provide patients with information to help manage their symptoms at home.

Discharge Information should include:

• Activity level (what the patient can and can’t do);
• Diet (what the patient should and shouldn’t eat or drink);
• Medications;
• Follow-up appointment;
• Watching daily weight;
• What the patient should do if the symptoms get worse.

Patients Given Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling

• Smoking increases the risk of blood clots and heart attack.
• Quitting smoking improves health.

For more information on heart failure, visit the web site:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hf/HF_WhatIs.html