ACC/AHA Heart Failure Clinical Performance Measures for Adults with Chronic Heart Failure

The ACC/AHA Heart Failure Performance Measures Writing Committee (hereafter, Writing Committee) was charged with the development of performance measures concerning the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure (HF). These performance measures refer to both hospitalized adult patients (age 18 years or older) with a principal discharge diagnosis of HF and to adults with HF evaluated in the outpatient setting. The Writing Committee independently developed the inpatient performance measures for HF and collaborated with the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (Physician Consortium) to develop the outpatient measures. In a concurrent process, the ACC/AHA Task Force on Clinical Data Standards launched the development of the ACC/AHA Key Data Elements and Definitions for Measuring the Clinical Management and Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Heart Failure (2) intended to provide a standardized informational platform for clinical trials, clinical registries, and quality performance measurement for the condition of HF. (September 20, 2005)