Report: Inpatient death rates falling

It looks like hospitals have made some real progress in treating common potentially fatal conditions over the past 10 years. According to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, death rates for patients with from heart attack, congestive heart failure, stroke, pneumonia, gastrointestinal hemorrhage or hip fracture fell noticeably from 1994 to 2004. This includes a 43 per 1,000 admissions drop in deaths from heart attack, 30 per 1,000 drop in deaths from congestive heart failure, pneumonia and stroke, and 21 per 1,000 for gastrointestinal hemorrhage. These findings are adjusted for patient acuity over time.

To learn more about this report:
- read this Modern Healthcare article

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