DALLAS, October 29, 2019 — Patients now have a new way to make informed decisions about their care with the launch of a public reporting website from the American Heart Association. Nearly 600 hospitals have elected to share measure performance data collected by the American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization devoted to a world of longer, healthier lives.
The data available on the public reporting website from the American Heart Association is collected from the Get With The Guidelines ® (GWTG) quality improvement programs. The GWTG programs collect data on patients admitted to the more than 2,400 nationwide participating hospitals with atrial fibrillation, heart failure, a stroke, heart attack, or who experience a cardiac arrest while in the hospital. Feedback on key quality measures that are critical in the patient care is collected and reported. To date, more than 9 million total patient records have been entered into the GWTG program.
“The data available from the American Heart Association may be unmatched in its volume and its utility in understanding guideline-directed care adherence in hospitals across the United States,” said Gregg C. Fonarow, MD, FACC, FAHA, FHFSA, longtime American Heart Association volunteer and Quality Improvement leader and director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Transparency of the data available about hospital quality and trends that data can show is a significant step in improving patient outcomes.”
The hospitals listed on the website are voluntarily participating in this public reporting program and have chosen to provide patients with additional information on the quality of care provided. If information for a hospital is not available on this website, the hospital may not currently participate in GWTG programs, or has chosen to opt out of this public reporting program.
“This is an amazing opportunity to deliver on our commitment to continuous quality improvement,” said John Meiners, chief of mission aligned businesses and healthcare solutions for the American Heart Association. “Making data available to help consumers understand their health care options and make informed decisions is an essential step towards transparency. It also allows hospitals to get credit from health plans for voluntary public reporting and meeting hospital accreditation requirements. It is valuable to consumers as well as hospitals.”
Additional hospitals will be able to join during the next opt-in cycle in mid-November through December 9, 2019 and annually every spring thereafter. The data has the potential to be used for multiple national hospital rankings.
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a leading force for a world of longer, healthier lives. With nearly a century of lifesaving work, the Dallas-based association is dedicated to ensuring equitable health for all. We are a trustworthy source empowering people to improve their heart health, brain health and well-being. We collaborate with numerous organizations and millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, advocate for stronger public health policies and share lifesaving resources and information. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
Karen Springs; C: 972-259-0350; karen.springs@heart.org
For Public Inquiries:
1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
