Should Patients With Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) Orders Be…

Should Patients With Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) Orders Be Included in Hospital Heart Attack Mortality Measures? Thirty-day mortality after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is widely used to evaluate hospital performance. However, some researchers question whether these quality measures accurately reflect the quality of care when they include patients who have do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders or are receiving palliative care, where death may be expected and aligned with the patient's goals of care. A recent study published in Circulation: Population Health and Outcomes examined how DNR status and palliative care influence 30-day mortality measures following AMI. Researchers analyzed 467,259 Medicare hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction across the United States. Patients were categorized based on: No DNR order DNR present at hospital admission DNR initiated after admission The study also evaluated patients who received palliative care. In addition, investigators performed a detailed