At the same time frame, the scorecard highlights some bright spots for that U.S., with notable gains in quality of care in areas which were the focus of public reporting or collaborative improvement initiatives. For instance, 50 percent of adults with high blood pressure level been with them in check in 2007-2008, compared with only 31 percent in 1999-2000. In addition, hospital quality indicators for treatment of heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia, and prevention of surgical complications, have improved substantially in the united states since hospitals began publicly reporting their quality data via a federal website.
Seventy percent of smokers say they’d like to quit, and now, just three days into the new year, many may already be struggling to stick to their resolution to make 2012 a smoke-free year. If quitting were easy, after all, chances are good that nearly one in five adults wouldn’t …