Improving Arkansas STEMI Outcomes

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) has committed itself to improving the care that Arkansans receive after experiencing a myocardial infarction (MI), also known as a heart attack. This Scorecard will track how well we, as a state, are providing care to these patients using a series of metrics. The data for the metrics are derived from the Hospital Discharge Data System (HDDS) and the newly initiated Arkansas Heart Attack Registry (AHAR). The AHAR was established in 2018 to act as the ADH surveillance and quality improvment program for heart attacks. This registry is overseen by the ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Advisory Council which conists of cardiologists, public heath officials, and other healthcare professionals. These data provided by these two databases are compared to evidence-based baseline metrics established by the American Heart Association (AHA) and National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR).  This will allow professionals at the ADH to identify shortcomings when compared to national averages and the recommended benchmarks. The ADH can use this knowledge to mobilize and utilize targeted interventions to improve patient-care.