Disparities in Care 2014 Report released
Nationally, disparities in care have become a hot topic as health care systems begin to implement population management strategies. There are many national and state-level reports on disparities that look at health outcomes. However, the focus of the Alliance’s 2014 report on disparities in care is on process measures which reflect how often evidence-based care is being delivered. Looking at outcomes reports together with our analysis reveals that not only are some minority populations disproportionately impacted by certain diseases but that some minorities are also not receiving all of the care they need.
Focus on disparities improves health for everyone
Through the population health lens, disparities in care can be seen as the failure—or success—of effectively managing health care for minority populations. Organizations that work to improve disparities also focus on their biggest breakdowns in the care process and thereby work to improve the care for all of their patients and community members. Improving disparities in care, therefore, is a key to addressing successful care for all populations.
New to the 2014 report
Last year the Alliance released the first report on disparities in care. Because the report provided a data-driven analysis of the issue, it received considerable attention from health care and policy organizations across the state. In this year’s report we are pleased to provide, for the first time, statewide results and qualitative data from survey and stakeholder interviews, providing a more comprehensive look at how Washington is providing care as well as the potential causes of these gaps of care.
New to this report:
- Statewide results.
- Qualitative data from surveys and interviews.
- Recommendations section.
- Understanding the measures information.
The findings in this report demonstrate that racial and ethnic disparities are still a problem in Washington state. The Alliance hopes that these findings will be a call to action that will lead to effective quality improvement efforts to improve the health of all the people in our state.
More information