Quincy Medical Center is committed to providing high quality, safe, compassionate care for our patients and their families. There are many public websites available for consumers to access data on hospital and physician performance. Upon visiting these sites, you will find that Quincy Medical Center performs better than state or national benchmarks on the great majority of quality measures.
We're constantly working to improve performance. Below is a snapshot of some of our performance improvement initiatives and processes to ensure the best care for you and your family. Click on each measure and you'll see the story behind our improvement.
Heart attack patients who were prescribed aspirin at discharge. Why does this matter? Aspirin therapy in patients who have suffered a heart attack (acute myocardial infarction or AMI) reduces the risk of adverse events and death. Studies have shown that aspirin can reduce this risk by 20%. How did we do? With 100% compliance since 2008, Quincy Medical Center consistently performs better than the state and national averages on this measure.
Doctors ordered preventive treatment for blood clots in surgery patients. Why does this matter? Venous thromboembolism (VTE), commonly known as blood clots, is one of the most common and serious complications that can occur after surgery. Evidence has shown that providing medication to prevent blood clots in advance or immediately following surgery is the most effective way to reduce complications. How did we do? Quincy Medical Center maintains a perfect record for meeting this standard.
Heart Failure patients are given proper discharge instructions. Why does this matter? Proper discharge instructions provide you with information to help you manage your heart failure symptoms when you leave the hospital. How did we do? Our performance on this measure improved to 100% in the second quarter of 2010 and remains well above national benchmarks.
Blood Culture performed in the Emergency Department before antibiotic were administered. Why does this matter? A blood culture tells what kind of medicine will work best to treat your pneumonia. When a blood culture is deemed necessary by your doctor, it is important that it be drawn before starting treatment. How did we do? Our percentage of pneumonia patients who met this standard in the ED was 100% in both the fourth quarter 2010 and first quarter 2011, surpassing both the national and state averages.
Surgery patients who were given an antibiotic at the right time (within one hour before surgery) to help prevent infection. Why does this matter? Medical research shows that surgery patients who get antibiotics within the hour before their surgery are less likely to get wound infections. How did we do? Quincy Medical Center saw an improved score of 100% in the first quarter of 2011, which is currently being maintained and exceeds both national and state scores.
We encourage you to review our performance by visiting the following public web sites.
If you have any questions, please call Jeanne Dufresne at 617-376-3182.