Do-not-resuscitate orders skew the accuracy of mortality rate as a care quality measurement for stroke patients, according to a study published in Stroke.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 252,000 patients from 355 hospitals in California. They found 13.3 percent of those cases had an early DNR order. Hospitals with higher early DNR orders experienced higher mortality rates than hospitals without early DNR orders, at 8.7 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.
Researchers suggest failing to adjust mortality ratios for early DNR skews the quality and mortality rankings, so mortality ratios do not present accurate care quality levels.
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