Percent of Patients Given a Beta Blocker at Discharge
Why Is This Important?
Beta blockers are a type of medicine that is used to lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, and to help prevent a heart attack. Beta blockers relieve the stress on the heart by slowing the heart rate and reducing the force with which the heart muscles contract to pump blood. They also help keep blood vessels from constricting in the heart, brain and body.
About This Graph
Health care providers recognize that heart attack patients can benefit from beta blockers and should get a prescription for a beta blocker before leaving the hospital. The graph below indicates how often eligible heart attack patients are prescribed a beta blocker when being discharged from HealthAlliance Hospital compared with other hospitals in Massachusetts and the United States. Higher percentages indicate better care. (Graph data: October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011.)
How Are We Doing?
Through the efforts of multiple members of our health care teams, we have been able to meet our goal of 100 percent.