Home Care Quality Measures -
Percent of Patients Who Are Short of Breath Less Often

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This percentage addresses the ratio of patients who are short of breath less often, which means their breathing has improved over time. Higher percentages are better.

Why is this important?

Shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, is uncomfortable. Many patients with heart or lung problems have shortness of breath because they can’t get enough oxygen to their lungs. Shortness of breath is a big problem for many home care patients.

If a patient has shortness of breath, they breathe faster than normal and feel like they can’t get enough air, which makes them uncomfortable and anxious. Shortness of breath can make them tire easily and unable to do normal activities. It is important that doctors and home care staff check patients’ breathing.

Doctors and home care nurses or therapists should teach patients ways to help them become more comfortable, including:

• quitting smoking and avoiding smoke,
• breathing exercises,
• positions that allow patients to breath easier and encourage them to relax,
• using several pillows to sleep,
• planning for rest periods between activities,
• limiting talking (if talking causes shortness of breath),
• opening a window or using a fan to get air moving,
• using a humidifier in the winter and
• when and how to use oxygen or medicine, as per doctors’ orders.

Some patients who have a chronic breathing problem like emphysema may not get better even though the home care agency provides good care. In these cases, the doctor and home care agency should make the patient as comfortable as possible.

The U.S. and state averages for this measure were provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).