Skip to main content
Subscribe
  • Sign Up Free
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Current News
    • Providers
    • Insurance
    • Government
    • Finance
    • Technology
    • Safety & Quality
    • Digital Health
    • Transformation
    • ESG
    • People
    • Regional News
    • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Patients
    • Operations
    • Care Delivery
    • Payment
    • Midwest
    • Northeast
    • South
    • West
  • Blogs
    • AI
    • Deals
    • Layoff Tracker
    • HIMSS 2023
  • Opinion
    • Breaking Bias
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • From the Editor
  • Events & Awards
    • Awards
    • Conferences
    • Galas
    • Virtual Briefings
    • Webinars
    • Nominate/Eligibility
    • 100 Most Influential People
    • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
    • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
    • Excellence in Governance
    • Health Care Hall of Fame
    • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
    • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
    • Top Innovators
    • Diversity in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
      • - Leaders to Watch
    • Women in Healthcare
      • - Luminaries
      • - Top 25 Women Leaders
      • - Women to Watch
    • Digital Health Transformation Summit
    • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
    • Leadership Symposium
    • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
    • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
    • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
    • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
    • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
    • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
    • - Hospital of the Future
    • - Value Based Care
    • - Hospital at Home
    • - Workplace of the Future
    • - AI and Digital Health
    • - Future of Staffing
    • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
  • Multimedia
    • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
    • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
    • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
    • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
  • Data & Insights
    • Data & Insights Home
    • Hospital Financials
    • Staffing & Compensation
    • Quality & Safety
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Data Archive
    • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
    • Surveys
    • Data Points
  • Newsletters
  • MORE+
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Media Kit
    • Jobs
    • People on the Move
    • Reprints & Licensing
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Providers
June 30, 2015 12:00 AM

IOM reports 'unacceptable' disparities in cardiac arrest survival

Sabriya Rice
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Reprints Print
    File photo
    Physicians at OhioHealth's Riverside Methodist Hospital use an interdisciplinary approach to procedures in the cardiac catheterization lab.

    Too many people die from cardiac arrest in the U.S. despite breakthroughs in the understanding and treatment of the condition, according to a report from the Institute of Medicine.

    The authors suggest revamping the national strategy to standardize surveillance, coordination, data collection, public education and the sharing of best practices pertaining to the condition.

    The ability to consistently deliver timely interventions and high-quality care to cardiac arrest patients has been “less than impressive,” said Dr. Robert Graham, chair of the 19-member multidisciplinary IOM committee on the treatment of cardiac arrest, in a preface to the report. The disparate survival rates across the nation have been “equally unacceptable,” he said.

    An estimated 600,000 people experience cardiac arrest each year in the U.S. Nearly two-thirds of the events occur outside of the hospital, but less than 6% of patients survive when the arrests begin in that setting, compared with 24% of inpatients. The total annual aggregate cost of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the U.S. was $33 billion according to a 2014 study.

    While heart attacks result from problems with circulation, cardiac arrest is an electrical issue that occurs when the heart malfunctions and unexpectedly stops beating. Effective treatments for specific types of cardiac arrest are widely available and could reduce deaths and disability if more efficiently implemented.

    The report emphasizes strategies in six areas. These include: the creation of a national cardiac arrest registry; enhancing the performance of emergency medical systems; improving systems of care; promoting research and innovation; more extensive education of the public on how to do CPR and use defibrillators; and creation of a national collaborative to identify common goals to improve survival.

    Firm numbers are scarce

    One of the most surprising findings is that no precision data exists to characterize the true impact of cardiac arrest in this country, most reported numbers are only estimates, said committee member, Dr. Lance Becker, an emergency physician from the University of Pennsylvania.

    Current registries are “excellent starts, but not adequate,” he said, adding that national data is an essential missing element. “We need to measure the impact of our treatments and interventions so that we can really establish evidence-based practices that will save lives in every community.”

    Though she is not on the committee, several studies coauthored by Dr. Monica Kleinman were cited in the report. Her research focuses on resuscitation quality, outcomes, regional differences and use of registries.

    Editor's note

    The Institute of Medicine has changed its name to the National Academy of Medicine, effective July 1, 2015. Read more.

    While there are pockets of the country where outcomes are significantly better than others and where systems of care work extremely well, “that's not a nationwide phenomenon,” said Kleinman, clinical director of the Medical-Surgical ICU & Critical Care Transport Program at Children's Hospital Boston and past chair of the American Heart Association's Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee.

    The single biggest potential for impact is to implement nationwide what has already been learned by “local champions” within those pockets. “It could change policy, it could change planning, it could literally change systems of care,” she said. “The potential to save more lives is absolutely there.”

    The IOM report was requested by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to review factors affecting resuscitation research and to inform on what is needed to improve care.

    “I will be the first to admit that this is an ambitious report, questioning many accepted norms and asking what conditions are necessary to advance the field an improve outcomes,” said Dr. Victor Dzau, a cardiologist and president of the IOM. The system of response to cardiac arrest in the U.S. can be strengthened if existing and developing capabilities are leveraged and stakeholders align, he said.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    diversity
    Health equity execs leveraging academic roles to drive long-term change
    Patrick Blair InnovAge
    PACE could expand amid possible nursing home closures: InnovAge CEO
    Most Popular
    1
    Centene to lay off 2,000 workers
    2
    How health systems are battling price-gouging allegations
    3
    Senate advances bill to temporarily aid hospitals, health centers
    4
    Elevance, Blue Cross Louisiana halt $2.5B proposed deal
    5
    Tower Health to sell urgent care centers, close others
    Sponsored Content
    Modern Healthcare A.M. Newsletter: Sign up to receive a comprehensive weekday morning newsletter designed for busy healthcare executives who need the latest and most important healthcare news and analysis.
    Get Newsletters

    Sign up for enewsletters and alerts to receive breaking news and in-depth coverage of healthcare events and trends, as they happen, right to your inbox.

    Subscribe Today
    MH Magazine Cover

    MH magazine offers content that sheds light on healthcare leaders’ complex choices and touch points—from strategy, governance, leadership development and finance to operations, clinical care, and marketing.

    Subscribe
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS

    Our Mission

    Modern Healthcare empowers industry leaders to succeed by providing unbiased reporting of the news, insights, analysis and data.

    Contact Us

    (877) 812-1581

    Email us

     

    Resources
    • Contact Us
    • Help Center
    • Advertise with Us
    • Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Editorial Dept
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Code of Ethics
    • Awards
    • About Us
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Modern Healthcare
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Current News
      • Providers
      • Insurance
      • Government
      • Finance
      • Technology
      • Safety & Quality
      • Digital Health
      • Transformation
        • Patients
        • Operations
        • Care Delivery
        • Payment
      • ESG
      • People
      • Regional News
        • Midwest
        • Northeast
        • South
        • West
      • Digital Edition (Web Version)
    • Blogs
      • AI
      • Deals
      • Layoff Tracker
      • HIMSS 2023
    • Opinion
      • Breaking Bias
      • Commentaries
      • Letters
      • From the Editor
    • Events & Awards
      • Awards
        • Nominate/Eligibility
        • 100 Most Influential People
        • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives
        • Best Places to Work in Healthcare
        • Excellence in Governance
        • Health Care Hall of Fame
        • Healthcare Marketing Impact Awards
        • Top 25 Emerging Leaders
        • Top Innovators
        • Diversity in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Diversity Leaders
          • - Leaders to Watch
        • Women in Healthcare
          • - Luminaries
          • - Top 25 Women Leaders
          • - Women to Watch
      • Conferences
        • Digital Health Transformation Summit
        • ESG: The Implementation Imperative Summit
        • Leadership Symposium
        • Social Determinants of Health Symposium
        • Women Leaders in Healthcare Conference
      • Galas
        • Best Places to Work Awards Gala
        • Health Care Hall of Fame Gala
        • Top 25 Diversity Leaders Gala
        • Top 25 Women Leaders Gala
      • Virtual Briefings
        • - Hospital of the Future
        • - Value Based Care
        • - Hospital at Home
        • - Workplace of the Future
        • - AI and Digital Health
        • - Future of Staffing
        • - Hospital of the Future (Fall)
      • Webinars
    • Multimedia
      • Podcast - Beyond the Byline
      • Sponsored Podcast - Healthcare Insider
      • Sponsored Video Series - One on One
      • Sponsored Video Series - Checking In with Dan Peres
    • Data & Insights
      • Data & Insights Home
      • Hospital Financials
      • Staffing & Compensation
      • Quality & Safety
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Data Archive
      • Resource Guide: By the Numbers
      • Surveys
      • Data Points
    • Newsletters
    • MORE+
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise
      • Media Kit
      • Jobs
      • People on the Move
      • Reprints & Licensing