Between 2002 and 2012, inpatient death rates have dropped for pneumonia, acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and stroke, according to a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Pneumonia mortality rates dropped the most over the 10-year period, down 45 percent. AMI mortality fell 41 percent, CHF mortality was down 29 percent and stroke saw a 27 percent decrease.
Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox!
For each condition, mortality decreases varied across patient subgroups and locations.
- Pneumonia's largest decreases were in Medicaid patients (56 percent) and uninsured patients (55 percent).
- The largest decreases in mortality for CHF and stroke were among patients from the poorest communities (34 percent and 30 percent, respectively).
- For AMI, inpatient mortality dropped 40 percent in rural areas.
"Continued study of these trends can help researchers and policymakers assess the impact of healthcare quality efforts," according to the report.