Online Report Highlights Quality of Patient Treatment

Published: Monday, July 25, 2005 - 22:00

The National Committee for Quality Assurance recently added clinical performance information to its online Health Plan Report Card. The “Living with Illness” report addition shows how effectively health plans treat patients in four areas: diabetes, cardiac care, asthma and mental illness. The report features a drill-down option that allows users to view in-depth information about different health plans’ treatment of long-term patient illness.

“Chronic illnesses account for three-fourths of all health care spending—and unless well treated—create a substantial burden of illness and death,” says Margaret E. O’Kane, NCQA president. “The Living with Illness reports show how well health plans treat four of the most common chronic illness—that’s information both employers and consumers can use.”

Each report shows the plans’ rates on up to 13 HEIDIS measures. To provide context for the results, the 90th percentile is also provided. HEIDIS is the nationwide benchmarking tool that health plans use to measure and report on their performance.

“These reports are powerful tools to help employers select the best health plan for their employees’ needs,” says Peter Lee, Pacific Business Group on Health president and CEO. “For every employer, caring for the chronically ill is a critical concern. The Living with Illness reports provide concrete information on which plans keep their employees healthy, and therefore provide the best value.”

NQCA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. It accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations and manages the evolution of HEDIS.

For more information, visit www.ncqa.org.

About The Author