The American College of Cardiology's public reporting program now enables heart disease patients and their caregivers to comb through in-depth data about their local hospitals and make better decisions about their heart care.
Hospitals that join the public reporting program are participants in the ACC's National Cardiovascular Data Registry, which collects information on specific conditions treated and procedures performed in hospitals across the country.
"Our hope is that by tracking and publicly reporting these measures we can raise awareness of variation where it exists and help to ensure consistent, evidence-based care is provided across the U.S." Kim Allan Williams, MD, president of ACC, said in a statement. "The hospitals that voluntarily chose to participate in this public reporting effort are showing a true commitment to quality improvement and helping to ensure heart disease patients nationwide receive the best possible care."
Hospitals can volunteer to contribute anonymous patient data, including medication data, to the NCDR's ICD Registry, which tracks procedures to correct abnormal heart rhythms, and the CathPCI Registry, which tracks procedures to open narrow or blocked arteries. Hospitals in the registry receive up to four stars based on their performance in respective data measures.