Since 2003, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released an annual National Health Quality Report. Here are eight key findings on patient care quality measures from the 2012 NHQR.
1. Overall, minorities received lower-quality care than non-minorities. Specifically, blacks and Hispanics received worse care for 40 percent of quality measures, and Asians received worse care for about 25 percent of quality measures.
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2. Minorities also had less access to care, with blacks having worse access for 33 percent of measures and Hispanics having worse access for 70 percent of measures.
3. Low-income people received worse care for 60 percent of quality measures and had worse access to care for over 80 percent of measures.
4. Sixty percent of quality measures improved across all racial, ethnic and income groups.
5. Eighty percent of quality measures related to acute illness and injury improved.
6. Of the quality measures related to chronic disease management and preventive care, only 40 percent improved.
7. Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota and the states in New England are ranked in the top quartile of overall care quality.
8. Texas, Nevada, Alaska, Indiana, West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas are ranked in the lowest quartile of overall care quality.
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