The Joint Commission National Quality Improvement Goals
Heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgery are conditions that frequently bring patients into a hospital for treatment. Infections, blood clots and other complications can extend their stay in a hospital.
The Joint Commission has recommended guidelines that when followed have been shown to help patients recover more quickly with fewer complications or lasting effects.
Cedars-Sinai's performance compared to other medical centers and hospitals around the nation and the state is highlighted in this section of the web site.
For more detailed information about specific measures, click on the links below. These data reflect care given to patients treated at Cedars-Sinai from April to June 2008.
Heart Attack Care Quality Measures
These measures of quality heart attack care are based on evidence that specific practices lead to better outcomes for patients who come to a hospital after or during a heart attack.
These practices include receiving drugs such as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta blockers or aspirin; counseling to quit smoking; and balloon angioplasty to open up blocked arteries within 90 minutes of arriving at the medical center.
Heart Failure Care Quality Measures
These measures of quality heart failure care are based on evidence that specific practices lead to better outcomes for patients who come to a hospital with heart failure.
These practices include being given drugs such as ACE inhibitors, counseling to quit smoking, instructions at discharge for how to manage life with heart failure and an assessment of how their left ventricle is functioning.
Pneumonia Care Quality Measures
These measures of quality pneumonia care are based on evidence that specific practices lead to better outcomes for patients who come to a hospital with pneumonia.
These practices include having a blood culture done before antibiotics are given, receiving antibiotics within six hours of arrival, proper antibiotic selection, vaccinations against pneumonia or influenza, having the oxygen levels in the blood checked and being counseled to quit smoking.
Surgical Infection Prevention Care Quality Measures
Preventing infections following surgery is an important element of quality care for surgery patients. To see how Cedars-Sinai performed in terms of preventing surgical infections, click here.
Blood Clot Prevention Measures
Certain types of surgery put patients at a higher risk of developing blood clots. To see how Cedars-Sinai performed in terms of providing patients with appropriate treatment to prevent blood clots, click here.
Outpatient Care Quality Measures
Three areas of care provided at a hospital -- but not necessarily leading to an overnight stay -- are covered in this section.
The areas are chest pains treated in an Emergency Department, the use of antibiotics to prevent infection during outpatient surgery and the selection of the most appropriate preventive antibiotic for a specific outpatient surgery procedure.
For Additional Information
To learn more about The Joint Commission Quality Check reports, click here.
