Iowa Health Care Providers Show Improvement

August 22, 2006

West Des Moines, Iowa - The Iowa Foundation for Medical Care is working with Iowa providers to improve the quality of health care. Iowa nursing homes, home health agencies, hospitals and physician offices have shown improvement in 29 of 34 quality measures over the past three years.

IFMC worked with Iowa hospitals to improve systems and promote best practices for the prevention and treatments of conditions that affect large numbers of patients. For example in the treatment of patients with heart attack, Iowa hospitals now administer beta-blockers upon arrival for more than 87% of patients and prescribe at discharge for more than 91% of patients. Offering significantly better care than the national average, our hospitals continue to focus on improving care.

Among Iowa's 116 hospitals, 92 are voluntarily submitting data for public reporting. Overall, of the original set of publicly reported measures, Iowa hospitals not only improved care but also performed better than the nation average on seven of the 10 measures.

IFMC worked with nursing homes to improve quality of care related to activities of daily living, pain management and infections. Since the launch of the Nursing Home Quality Initiative in November 2002, Iowa nursing homes working with IFMC have shown improvement in all three clinical areas. Iowa's 43% statewide reduction in pain means 1,300 fewer Iowa nursing home residents experienced moderate daily pain or severe pain at any time.

In support of the national Home Health Quality Initiative IFMC provided Outcome Based Quality Improvement training to more than 280 home health professionals from 169 Iowa agencies.

IFMC partnered with 122 primary care physicians in Iowa to increase awareness and utilization of diabetes management techniques and increase influenza and pneumonia vaccinations.

Medicare beneficiaries are increasingly receiving optimal diabetes care in Iowa physician offices. For example more than 84% are receiving lipid profiles and more than 88% hemoglobin A1cs as recommended in best practice guidelines. Influenza and pneumonia immunizations have also increased for this at risk population.

IFMC is assisting Iowa physician offices in the selection and implementation of electronic health record systems. In addition to facilitating better management of care for patients with chronic conditions EHRs can help physicians collect data to analyze and improve the quality of care delivered by their practices.

"IFMC works hand in hand with health care professionals to make health care safer, more effective and patient centered. We are proud of the role IFMC plays in helping health care providers learn and implement proven techniques for making good care even better." said Peg Mason, Vice President, IFMC. As the state's Medicare Quality Improvement Organization contracted with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, it is IFMC's goal to assist in developing a health care system where every patient receives the right care at the right time and where providers have the tools and resources to deliver that care.

Media Contacts:
Joe Shannahan 515-223-2988
Deb Innis 515-440-8224