National and State Trends in Quality of Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction Between 1994-1995 and 1998-1999

Abstract

DESPITE STRONG scientific evidence demonstrating a survival benefit of a number of key therapies for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), many studies have documented their underuse.^1-4 Substantial opportunity for improvement has been demonstrated in the quality of care that patients with AMI receive. Suboptimal quality of medical care has been increasingly recognized as a concern within the US health care system and has led to a presidential commission's recommendation that quality of care should be addressed as an important national priority.⁵ A recent report from the Institute of Medicine has further publicized this concern.⁶