Heart failure is a chronic condition that can cause shortness of breath, dizziness and fatigue. People who have heart failure receive specific instructions about how to manage their condition through diet, activities, drugs, monitoring signs of potential problems and keeping follow-up appointments to reduce their risk of having to return to the hospital.

This measure reports what percent of patients with heart failure are given information about their condition and care when they leave the hospital.

A high score is better than a low score.

The chart above shows how Cedars-Sinai's performance on this measure compared with the top 10% of hospitals in the United States, the national average for hospitals, the top 10% of hospitals in California and the California average. These data reflect care given to patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from April through June 2007. The national and California data reflect care given to patients from April 2006 through March 2007.