Outpatient utilization of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors among heart failure patients after hospital discharge

Abstract

Background: Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) therapy at discharge for hospitalized heart failure (HF) patients is considered a key quality of care measure, which has led to implementation of quality improvement efforts to comply with this recommendation. The benefit of this approach however will be limited if ACEIs are not continued in the outpatient setting. In this study we sought to determine the adherence to outpatient ACEI therapy following hospitalization for HF. Methods: Medicare and Medicaid data on 1041 surviving hospitalized HF patients from 1998–2000 were studied to assess ACEI use at discharge and subsequent continued use and new prescription rate of ACEI as outpatients at 30, 180, and 365 days post-discharge among patients who were and were not prescribed ACEI at the time of discharge.