By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis – An organization representing Missouri's 140 hospitals says physicians are providing the right care to treat certain diseases most of the time.
The Missouri Hospital Association says between April and September 2003, hospitals met international standards for treating heart attacks 89 percent of the time, 79 percent for heart failure and 74 percent for pneumonia.
MHA president Mark Smith says the data is a valuable gauge for both providers and patients.
"Doctors and other health care professionals will be able to measure and improve the quality of the care they provide, and patients will be able to have a more meaningful dialogue with their health care practitioner about the source of care," Smith said.
All St. Louis-area hospitals contributed to the report. The MHA will issue a follow-up report in September.