Measuring quality of care nationwide

This brief summarizes a study conducted by researchers at the RAND Corporation that measured the quality of health care for randomly selected adults from 12 communities across the United States. Because the researchers used 439 quality indicators to evaluate health care performance in 30 clinical areas, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, and related preventive care, the size and comprehensiveness of this study is particularly noteworthy. The findings reveal comparable deficits in adherence to standard care processes by both inpatient and outpatient providers within the 12 chosen communities. Overall, study participants received only half of the care consistent with evidence-based knowledge. Thus, study results provide systematic evidence detailing the gaps between the science and the practice of health care delivery throughout the country.