• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Specifications manual for hospital outpatient department quality measures (v 2.1a). Baltimore (MD): Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); 2009. 245 p.

Does not apply to this measure

This measure is used to assess the time (in minutes) from emergency department (ED) arrival to electrocardiogram (ECG) (performed in the ED prior to transfer) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or chest pain patients (with Probable Cardiac Chest Pain).

Guidelines recommend patients presenting with chest discomfort or symptoms suggestive of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) performed within a target of 10 minutes of emergency department (ED) arrival. Evidence supports reperfusion benefits patients with identified STEMI. The diagnosis and management of STEMI patients is dependent upon practices within the ED. Timely ECGs assist in identifying STEMI patients and impact the choice of reperfusion strategy. This measure will identify the median time to ECG for chest pain or AMI patients and potential opportunities for improvement to decrease the median time to ECG.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI); chest pain (probable cardiac chest pain); angina; acute coronary syndrome; ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI); electrocardiogram (ECG)

Patients 18 years and older with an emergency department (ED) encounter who were discharged/transferred to a short-term general hospital for inpatient care or to a Federal healthcare facility with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or angina, acute coronary syndrome, or chest pain and receiving an electrocardiogram (ECG)

Continuous variable statement: Time (in minutes) from emergency department (ED) arrival to electrocardiogram (ECG) (performed in the ED prior to transfer) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or chest pain patients (with Probable Cardiac Chest Pain)

Administrative data
Medical record

OP-5: hospital outpatient acute myocardial infarction and hospital outpatient chest pain: median time to ECG.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

United States Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) Contractor

None

National Quality Forum

Hospital Quality Alliance

Measure was not adapted from another source.

2008 Apr

2009 Jan

This is the current release of the measure

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Specifications manual for hospital outpatient department quality measures (v 2.1a). Baltimore (MD): Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); 2009. 245 p.

This NQMC summary was completed by ECRI Institute on February 20, 2009. The information was verified by the measure developer on May 8, 2009.

No copyright restrictions apply.

The Specifications Manual for Hospital Outpatient Department Quality Measures (Version 2.1a, January 2009) is periodically updated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Users of the Specifications Manual for Hospital Outpatient Department Quality Measures must update their software and associated documentation based on the published manual production timelines.