For the heart attack 30-day mortality rate measurement, CMS tracks the percentage of Medicare patients who die of any cause while in the hospital or within 30 days of leaving the hospital.

To evaluate hospitals' performance, CMS gathers the mortality rates of all hospitals and uses them to calculate an average mortality rate. To allow for statistical variation, the range of mortality rates considered average includes rates that may be higher or lower than the exact average rate.

Finally, CMS compares individual hospitals' mortality rates against the average mortality rate. If a hospital falls into the average range, it is considered "no different than the U.S. national rate." If a hospital's mortality rate is higher than the average range, it is considered "worse than the U.S. national rate." If a hospital's mortality rate is lower than the average range, it is considered "better than the U.S. national rate."

More heart attack measurements 

• Patients given asprin at arrival
• Patients given aspirin at discharge
• Patients given ACE inhibitors or ARB for left ventricular systolic dysfunction
• Patients given smoking-cessation advice or counseling
• Patients given beta blockers at discharge
• Patients given PCI within 90 minutes of arrival
• Heart attack mortality rates
• Heart attack re-admission rates
• Patients given a prescription for a statin at discharge

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