Montgomery :: Indicators :: Heart Failure: Medicare Population

Red is bad, green is good, blue is not statistically different/neutral.

Compared to Distribution

an indicator guage with the arrow in the green the value is in the best half of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the yellow the value is in the 2nd worst quarter of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the red the value is in the worst quarter of communities.

Compared to Target

green circle with white tick inside it meets target; red circle with white cross inside it does not meet target.

Compared to a Single Value

green diamond with downward arrow inside it lower than the comparison value; red diamond with downward arrow inside it higher than the comparison value; blue diamond with downward arrow inside it not statistically different from comparison value.

Trend

green square outline with upward trending arrow inside it green square outline with downward trending arrow inside it non-significant change over time; green square with upward trending arrow inside it green square with downward trending arrow inside it significant change over time; blue square with equals sign no change over time.

Compared to Prior Value

green triangle with upward trending arrow inside it higher than the previous measurement period; green triangle with downward trending arrow inside it lower than the previous measurement period; blue equals sign no statistically different change from previous measurement period.

green chart bars Significantly better than the overall value

red chart bars Significantly worse than the overall value

light blue chart bars No significant difference with the overall value

gray chart bars No data on significance available

Why is this important?

Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump sufficient amounts of blood to the rest of the body, resulting in increased blood pressure and fluid retention in the limbs and/or organs. Heart failure is caused by a variety of conditions that weaken the heart, including coronary artery disease, diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure, and congenital heart defects. Treatment for heart failure begins with a combination of medication, lifestyle changes, and maintaining a low blood pressure to prevent heart failure from advancing. If the condition worsens, more advanced treatments--such as surgery--may become necessary. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 5.7 million people in the United States have heart failure and the condition costs the nation $34.4 billion annually. The National Institute of Health states that heart failure is most common in people age 65 and older and it is the number one reason older individuals are hospitalized.

More...