Tag: American Heart Association

The Top U.S. Hospitals have 28% Lower Mortality Rate

The American Heart Association did a new study concerning hospitals and their mortality rates. We now know that the top 5 percent in the United States have a 28% lower death rate than other hospitals in the nation. Health Grades is an independent health care ratings company released this information January 29th, 2007. They also found that patients who have surgery at the top-rated hospitals are about five percent less likely to suffer complications than patients at other hospitals are.

The Health Grade Company analyzed death and mortality rates for 26 procedures and diagnoses, including bypass surgery, angioplasty, stroke, and heart attack, at all 5,122 nonfederal hospitals. The top hospitals reduced their death rate by an average of 11.7 percent and reduced post-surgical complication rates by 3.4 percent. The study author claimed that if all U.S. hospitals had the same quality of care as the top hospitals, 158,264 lives would have been saved and 12,409 major complications avoided. Unfortunately, there is a gap in the quality of care provided by high quality hospitals and other hospitals in the United States, according to Health Grades.

In order to qualify for the Health Grades list, hospitals were required to meet minimum thresholds in terms of patient volumes, quality ratings and the range of services provided.
In the top 5% of hospitals that deal with heart, patients there are 229 in the nation today. The hospitals are located all around the nation and keep a high standard of performance.
The Christ Hospital located in Cincinnati, Ohio ranked number one in cardiovascular care is affiliated with several other hospitals in the area that are accredited as being in the top 100 of the 5% heart hospitals.

One of the most distinguished top cited heart hospitals and medical centers is the Robert Wood Johnson’s University Hospital. This hospital has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety. This hospital is the principal teaching hospital of the University of Medicine in the state of New Jersey. It is a very demanding position to be the one is who teach others how to take care of heart patients.

The Dayton Heart Hospital focus on patient care and fighting any problems that deals with heart problems. Each year heart disease kills more people than any other disease. Patients want new and better ways of healing. The physicians, community leaders, and others want to reduce the impact of heart disease has on society.

Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan has updated its heart wing, is now one of the leading hospitals for open-heart surgery, and transplants. The staff at Spectrum Hospital is very sensitive to patient needs and stress levels and tries to help in any manner possible. When a patient leaves the hospital, the care does not stop at that point. They provide in home nurses that visit the patient on a daily basis to make sure that they are coming along very well. Therapy is a part of the patient care after a month or so when the patient feels they are ready. The patient then goes to the therapy wing and a professional helps lead in proper therapy techniques. The hospital also provides a dietician who helps with your diet plan. The care provided is necessary for complete recovery.

Public Health

Experts are outraged over the fact that the U.S. Government does not track Heart Diseases. American Heart Association feels that since heart failure is the number one killer amongst men and women that it should concern the government since it does concern the public health. Our government should track national rates of heart disease and stroke to help cut the incidences of these prime causes of death.

Currently data is collected by different sources and then published once a year in the AHA annual Heart Disease and Stroke journal. The Public Health does not keep a record of heart diseases as they do for other illnesses. The doctors of today have to rely on information provided by different sources as journals and magazines. The Public Health is for everybody’s concern and since the government controls this division, it is highly advisable that they start tracking patients with heart problems.

It is true that the American Heart Association has been doing a great job compiling this information from many and various sources. The fact is that there are many missing pieces, and it is not a good idea to have a nongovernmental agency, with no authority to modify data collected. The fact that the Public Health Department has no control over the facts or evaluation means that changes are slowly improved.

The Public Health Department has the capability of being a surveillance unit that can evaluate how data gets collected then make changes as needed. The Public Health Department can make sure that everyone in the medical field has access to all the information concerning the heart.

It is up to the Public Health Department to gather the needed information from the primary physicians, simply have the physicians report heart disease and stroke whenever possible. The information shared with doctors and patients would be much more obtainable. The public is under the false impression that the medical field is well informed about heart diseases. The truth about the situation is that there is no formal method of collecting data. That in reality without the efforts of the AHA doctors would not be as advanced as they are today concerning heart related problems. The current data collected by surveys needs some modification to help with increasing the physician’s capability to treat heart patients.

– National surveys should expand existing questions on risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and other vascular diseases. Include in the survey risk factors such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, smoking and obesity.

– The Public Health System should standardize data collection across existing surveys to eliminate duplication and make information easier to compare.

– Laboratory results on cholesterol levels and blood sugar control to information collected from physician visits needs to be compiled for the possibility of discovering any connections to heart problems. The Public Health Department duty should be to maintain these records for our own safety and well-being.

Let us note that heart health is of interest to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers advice on how to keep your heart healthy.

H E A R T

The heart one of the most talked about part of your body. The heart used metaphorically describes love as well as a great hurt like broken heart. “My heart over flows with the love I have for you,” says a young lover to his sweetheart. The emotions that we express with our heart are only part of the human makeup. The other part consists of having a healthy heart.

The heart is a real part of your body organs and functions to keep you alive and healthy. It is a noted fact that not only emotions affect your heart but also your food, your lifestyle, exercises, and stress all play a pertinent part in heart health. The American Heart Association provides much information about heart care. The Cleveland Clinic and other medical centers provide information and steps you can take to have a healthy heart.

Exercise is very import part of a healthy heart care. We know that not everyone can go to the gym or has the room in their home for gym equipment. We have some suggestions that will help your heart health.

– Set in a comfortable chair loosen your clothing for comfort.

– Start with your feet and ankles; rotate them so that you feel the strain.

– Work up to your legs raising them up and holding them for about five minutes.

– Work your hands and arms one side then the other.

– Next, work your head up and down then back and forth.

About 20 minutes a day will help you relieve stress in your life and let you relax. This is a good way to improve on heart health. The next thing is your diet plan remember it is not what you eat but how much and how often. We suggest you stay away from the normal things that people talk about like fats, too many sweets, and things that you know will harm you.

The heart is measured by taking your blood pressure with results letting your physician know your condition. When reading your heart first the doctor looks at the Systolic level because systolic heart failure occurs when the left ventricle cannot contract vigorously which is a pumping problem? The diastolic heart failure occurs when the left ventricle cannot relax or fill fully which becomes a filling problem. The heart must be able to pump vigorously and then relax to refill with blood to have a healthy heart.

The fact is that the nations’ number one killer heart disease; has piece meal data nation wide. AHA has put together some prime information and published it while the U.S. Government has not attempted to track heart disease. The AHA feels strongly that the government should get involved.

Yes, the heart is the soul of our existence. For many we think of the heart when we are in love or at a time of loss love. As we grow older then we venture to look at the real heart the arteries, veins, and the effects on our heart by the things we do. Take heart and enjoy your life.

Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the process of where one is able to study a disease or disorder. The public health department job is to conduct studies that are epidemiological in nature in order to prevent contagious disease from spreading. An epidemiologist is one who understands the rate/risk ratios, rate/risk differences, and measures the impact on the public.

Each epidemiologist deals in his own science and disciplines when he is taking these factors and measuring them. The discipline requires him to be able to select and use appropriate statistical methods in the analysis of simple data sets and apply these methods by computer using either STATA or EPI-INFO. He must also be able to understand and interpret output from statistical analyses carried out by computer, in relation to research and other questions asked. Then the epidemiologist must present findings based on statistical analysis in a clear concise manner.

The epidemiologist must be able to define a research problem and formulate a study hypothesis and objectives. He must choose an appropriate and ethical study design, plan field procedures, including sample selection, and the design of questionnaires and record forms. A time schedule for the conduct of the study is vital part. The need to prepare a budget is always important for this type of research. A detailed protocol that is of sufficient standard developed into a submission statement for a funding agency.

The epidemiologist must understand the basic statistical measures and concepts underlying the analysis of epidemiological data. He must perform analyses of data arising from epidemiological studies using appropriate computer software. He must be able to identify factors that suggest a disease has an infectious cause. He also must understand the factors determining the spatial, temporal and social distributions of communicable diseases. It is vital that the epidemiologist understand how to measure transmissibility of infections, design, and carry out, analyses, interpret and report an outbreak investigation report. It is of course very vital that the evaluation of vaccine efficacy be investigated.

The study of epidemiology and the use of an epidemiologist are vital for any nation’s health. This is very important for it helps our nation prevent major breakouts of diseases. I would like to say our people do an excellent job in this field and their tasks are not always easy but always necessary. The American Heart Association feels that since heart failure is the number one killer of men and women in America today that our Public Health Department is not fulfilling their duties toward heart related diseases.

In the above description of what epidemiologist, duties are and why we have the study of epidemiology gives a better understanding the medical field problems concerning heart failure patients. The AHA has gathered as much information as possible thru magazines and articles and made a journal for the doctors to refer themselves too. That journal is piece meal at best not complete and not adequate for the care and prevention of heart related problems. That is why we need an epidemiologist from our Public health Department to look at the situation.