Myocardial Infarction Quality Measures

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Myocardial Infarction Quality Measures

Chest Pain Center Certification

The Society of Chest Pain Centers (SCPC) promotes the use of clinical practices that have been tested through research. These clinical practices support optimal care of patients experiencing chest pain. According to the SCPC, observation of carefully-selected emergency patients has been extensively studied and shown to provide improved health care outcomes, including:

1. A ten-fold decrease in the error rate for "missed myocardial infarction" (the rate at which heart attack patients are inappropriately sent home)
2. A reduction in health care costs by one half to one third
3. A reduction in patient length of stay
4. An improvement in patient satisfaction

Chest Pain Centers follow research tested protocols to deliver care to patients with chest pain. Chest pain care often begins in an emergency department but may also include additional service areas such as cardiac catheterization, radiology, or surgery. According to the Society of Chest Pain Centers, to earn Accredited Chest Pain Center status, a facility successfully completes the Society's formal process in the following eight (8) key areas:

1. Emergency Department (ED) Integration with the Emergency Medical System (EMS): A formal relationship between the ED and the local EMS that links the care processes for patients with symptoms of possible Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS). Heart attack is one type of acute coronary syndrome.
   
   
2. Emergency Assessment of Patients with Symptoms of ACS. Timely Diagnosis and Treatment of ACS: a program to minimize delays in starting therapy for heart attack.
   
   
3. Patients with Low Risk for ACS and No Assignable Cause for their Symptoms: ED or Hospitals observation program that monitors and evaluates low-risk patients to avoid inadvertently releasing patients with AMI (heart attack) or unstable angina (chest pain).
   
   
4. Functional Facility Design: an ED Chest Pain care. It includes appropriate cardiovascular monitoring equipment.
   
   
5. Personnel, Competencies, and Training: Physicians and nursing staff in contact with patients with symptoms of ACS require certain core competencies and training. Leadership and management may require additional core competencies and training.
   
   
6. Process Improvement Orientation: Chest Pain Unit management structure based on continuous quality improvement program principles to ensure quality patient care and proper utilization of ED resources.
   
   
7. Organizational Structure and Commitment: The facility's administration, medical staff, and multidisciplinary committee must make a commitment to the establishment and support of a Chest Pain Center.
   
   
8. Community Outreach Program: An ED or Hospitals -based community outreach program that educates the public to promptly seek medical care if they have symptoms of an AMI (heart attack), such as chest pain, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, diaphoresis, syncope, and risk factors for coronary artery disease, particularly smoking.

St. Mary's Hospital Medical Center's Chest Pain Center is accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers.