Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research: Quality & Patient Safety (AHRQ)

The Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) is an agency of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. AHRQ works with experts to improve patient care. For more information about AHRQ, visit the Web site: http://www.ahrq.gov/

Listed Below are the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS) performance measures we use and why they’re important:

Patient Safety

Heart Attack (AMI) Mortality
Patients can die from a heart attack.

• Problems after a heart attack that may cause death are:
  • Irregular heart rhythms;
  • Blood pressure problems; and
  • Blood clots.

For more information, visit the Web site:
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/HeartAttack/HeartAttack_WhatIs.html

OB Trauma - Vaginal Delivery without Use of Instruments

• Babies may be injured when delivered.
• Injury can be caused by:
  • Mother having a small pelvis;
  • Baby being bigger than normal; and/or
  • Labor lasting longer than expected.

For more information, visit the Web site:
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/pregnancy/childbirth/1451354.html

Post-Operative Pulmonary Embolism/Deep Vein Thrombosis (PE/DVT)

• Blood clots can be a problem after surgery.
• Blood clots in the lungs are called a pulmonary embolism (PE).
• Blood clots in the legs are called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

For more information, visit the Web site:
http://www.webmd.com/DVT/deep-vein-thrombosis-complications

Post-Operative Sepsis

• Infection in the blood is a serious problem after surgery.
• Signs of sepsis are:
  • Fever;
  • Chills;
  • Low blood pressure; and
  • Fast heart rate.

For more information, visit the Web site:
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/sepsis-blood-infection

Selected Infections Due to Medical Care

• There are many germs in the hospital.
• Being a patient in the hospital makes it easier for germs to cause infections.

For more information, visit the Web site:
http://npsf.org/paf/i/