Heart Failure

What is the problem? Not all patients can take ACE inhibitors for ARBS. Medicare requires that physicians provide detailed documentation for why patients don’t receive this medication. Frequently the decision made by the physician, while appropriate, is not accompanied by the needed documentation.

What is the problem? Patients will occasionally refuse to have counseling to stop smoking. When this occurs, hospital staff must document that the patient did not receive counseling because they refused. On occasion documentation of the refusal is not entered into the medical record.

How we are fixing it? All patients are screened for whether or not they have smoked in recent months. Valley West offers all patients who smoke or have smoked in the previous 12 months written materials regarding how to quit, along with resources to help with quitting; this must be documented. A respiratory therapist will also visit with the patient and provide individual smoking cessation counseling.