title: Optimising care of acute myocardial infarction: results of a regional quality improvement project.
abstract: The effects of a quality improvement intervention were evaluated in a before-after time-series study of 649 consecutive patients suffering acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the West Moreton Health District over 2.5 years from March 1996 through to August 1998. After a 6-month baseline period, clinical practice guidelines were issued followed by sequential feedback to providers of clinical indicator data over a 1-year period. Resultant changes in practice were then evaluated during a 12-month post-intervention period. The proportion of eligible patients receiving early thrombolysis, lipid-lowering drugs and cardiac rehabilitation increased, respectively, from 30.8 to 70.0% (P = 0.001), from 23.4 to 56.4% (P = 0.003), and from 23.6 to 54.3% (P = 0.003). The in-hospital death rate, incidence of postinfarct angina and mean length of stay decreased, respectively, from 15.8 to 8.6% (P = 0.02), from 30.1 to 14.3% (P < 0.001), and from 7.4 to 6.3 days (P = 0.001). Despite the absence of control groups, the present study suggested that clinical guidelines combined with feedback of clinical indicators were useful in improving quality of care.
authors.affiliation: Ipswich Hospital, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Eyeson-Annan
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Huxley
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: West
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents