Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Quality Measurement and Improvement
Lecture:Definitions and framework for assessing quality
What is known about health care quality
Slide content:Quality for Population at Large ( McGlynn et al., 2003) One of most widely cited studies Contacted 17,937 adults in 12 metropolitan areas asking if they would agree to release records for assessment of quality 6,712 agreed to do so Records reviewed for 439 indicators of quality of care for 30 acute and chronic diseases and preventive measures ( McGlynn et al., 2003) Percentage receiving recommended care varied for different conditions Overall 54.9%, varying from atrial fibrillation (24.7%) to senile cataract (78.7%) 11
Slide notes:For health care quality for the population at large, one of the most well-known and widely cited studies came from McGlynn and colleagues in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine . These researchers asked adults in twelve U.S. metropolitan areas to provide access to their medical records. About seven thousand adults agreed to do so, and their medical records were assessed for thirty common conditions. For each condition, the researchers used indicators of quality of carethe right thingactions that should be taken according to the best evidence. These were not esoteric actions but rather tests and/or treatments that are known to be the best approach for these given conditions. On average, only fifty-four-point-nine percent of the care delivered was consistent with the best-known quality, varying for different diseases. 11