AHA News writes: the 30-day mortality rate for Medicare patients hospitalized for heart attack decreased an average 3% between 1995 to 2006, while variability between hospitals also declined, according to a study in the Aug. 19 Journal of the American Medical Association. The risk-standardized mortality rate, which accounts for patient differences across hospitals, decreased from 18.8% in 1995 to 15.8% in 2006.
Read more: Reduction in Acute Myodcardial Infraction Mortality in the United States, JAMA, Vol. 302, No.7, Aug 19, 2009