One-year mortality after a first visit to a cardiology outpatient clinic: a useful performance indicator?
Neth Heart J
; 17(2): 52-5, 2009 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-19247466
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
In 2003 the Dutch Health Care Inspectorate introduced performance indicators to monitor and compare quality of care in Dutch hospitals. In 2007, the new performance indicator 'one-year mortality after a first visit to a cardiology outpatient clinic' was introduced. We set out to evaluate this new indicator in three Dutch teaching hospitals.METHODS:
Using electronic medical records, information was collected retrospectively of patients aged >/=70 years who visited the cardiology outpatient clinic of Medical Centre Alkmaar, Meander Medical Centre Amersfoort and Deventer Hospital between 1 January 2006 and 31 January 2006. Diagnoses were based on the diagnosis treatment combination (DBC) coding system.RESULTS:
547 patients (mean age 78.0 years, 53% men) were included, 35 (6.4%) of whom had died after one year. Cardiovascular disease was the most frequent cause of death (22/35, 62.9%). The oneyear mortality among the three hospitals varied from 5.0 to 7.3% (NS).CONCLUSION:
One-year mortality after the first visit to a cardiology outpatient clinic amounted to 6.4% in patients aged >/=70 years and did not differ significantly between the three Dutch teaching hospitals. The administrative load to obtain the necessary information was considerable. One-year mortality should be regarded as an 'outcome' parameter rather than a 'performance' indicator. (Neth Heart J 2009;1752-5.).
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2009
Tipo de documento:
Article