Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI)/Heart Attack

OFMQ works with Oklahoma hospitals to increase the use of appropriate care processes to improve patient outcomes and specifically to decrease morbidity and mortality related to AMI. We offer resources including consulting, training, quality improvement tools and intervention strategies at no charge to hospitals. Our team of physicians and nurses provides education and training based on the latest evidence-based medicine to hospitals throughout Oklahoma.

Public Health Importance

Cardiovascular disease is America’s biggest killer. Every minute an American dies of coronary heart disease. Each year, approximately 1.1 million people experience an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or heart attack. Almost two-thirds of heart attack patients do not make a complete recovery, and people who survive the acute phase have achance of related illness and death that is 2 to 9 times higher than that of the general population. One third dies during the acute phase. Older Americans bear the brunt of this medical burden. Over 80 percent of all heart attack-related deaths occur in individuals age 65 or older.

Heart disease is the leading cause of hospitalization among persons age 65 or older. In 1996, AMI accounted for 394,850 hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries, or about 12 hospitalizations for every 1,000 enrollees. The payments to hospitals for these episodes totaled over $3.6 billion, or about $9,780 per discharge.(CMS Heart Attack National Project Overview)

AMI Quality Measures

Specific quality measures for treatment of AMI are publicly reported and used to help hospitals identify opportunities for improvement as well as help consumers make more informed health care decisions.