title: Future challenges in quality improvement in heart failure.
abstract: This is the final installment in a series reporting on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiatives to improve care for Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure through its Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) contractors during the 1999-2002 contract cycle. Previous columns have reported on a nation-wide hospital-based effort, the National Heart Failure project, and a more limited outpatient-based effort, the Heart Failure Practice Improvement Effort. After 3 years of experience with the National Heart Failure project, it is appropriate to highlight the issues pertinent to future quality improvement initiatives in heart failure care.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO 80204, USA. ehavrane@dhha.org
authors.forename: Edward P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Havranek
authors.forename: Frederick A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Masoudi
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Ralston
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Susman
authors.forename: Harlan M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Krumholz
authors.forename: Jane P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000592:standards / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005544:Forecasting; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors