Healthcare Quality News

Stroke performance measures currently used by Joint Commission certified Primary Stroke Centers will be expanded for use by all hospitals. The measures have been modified to meet national core measure specifications and will be published in the Specifications Manual for National Hospital Quality Measures, Version 3.0 in April 2009 for implementation with discharges on and after October 1, 2009.

Ten standardized stroke performance measures have been used in The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification Program since January 2008. Those are listed below. Of the original set, eight were endorsed by the National Quality Forum in July 2008 for use in the hospital core measure program. CMS has stated its intent to include stroke measures in the Reporting of Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment Update program in the future. The revised specifications are available on The Joint Commission Web site. (Joint Commission Contact: Karen Kolbusz, kkolbusz@jointcommission.org)

• Stroke-1, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Prophylaxis

• Stroke-2, Discharged on Antithrombotic Therapy

• Stroke-3, Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Anticoagulation Therapy

• Stroke-4, Thrombolytic Therapy Administered

• Stroke-5, Antithrombotic Therapy By End of Hospital Day Two

• Stroke-6, Discharged on Statin Medication

• Stroke-7, Dysphagia Screening

• Stroke-8, Stroke Education

• Stroke-9, Smoking Cessation / Advice / Counseling

• Stroke-10, Assessed for Rehabilitation

(Source: The Joint Commission Online, http://jointcommission.org, April 2, 2009)