Pneumonia

National Pneumonia Project Overview

Pneumonia and influenza cause substantial morbidity and mortality for Medicare patients. This project focuses on changing processes of care to improve outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. An additional objective is to increase rates of vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal disease.

Public Health Importance

Pneumonia and influenza are the seventh leading causes of death in the United States. Pneumonia accounts for nearly 600,000 Medicare patient hospitalizations and more than 4.5 million inpatient days each year. In 1993, more than $3.5 billion was spent on inpatient care of Medicare patients with pneumonia. Pneumonia is also the principal reason for more than 500,000 emergency department visits by Medicare patients each year. The incidence of pneumonia increases with age, and more than 90 percent of deaths due to this condition are in the population aged 65 and older.

Main Objective

To decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with community-acquired pneumonia in Medicare beneficiaries.

Pneumonia Measures

PN-1: Oxygenation Assessment
PN-2: Pneumococcal Vaccination
PN-3a: Blood Cultures Performed Within 24 Hours Prior to or 24 Hours After Hospital Arrival for Patients Who Were Transferred or Admitted to the ICU Within 24 Hours of Hospital Arrival
PN-3b: Blood Cultures Performed in the Emergency Department Prior to Initial Antibiotic Received in Hospital
PN-4: Adult Smoking Cessation Advice/Counseling
PN-5c: Initial Antibiotic Received Within 6 Hours of Hospital Arrival
PN-6: Initial Antibiotic Selection for CAP in Immunocompetent Patient
PN-7: Influenza Vaccination (NOTE: Reported by Flu Season ONLY)

Web Site Links (links open new windows)

Questions?

For more information about this project (including clinical background, performance measures, and references) please visit MedQIC (link opens new window) or contact Deanna Curry, Patient Safety Interventionist, at 303.847.1727 or dcurry@coqio.sdps.org.

The Colorado Foundation for Medical Care (CFMC), the Medicare quality improvement organization for Colorado, prepared this material under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contents do not necessarily reflect CMS Policy.