Minority Health Updates from AHRQ

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sent this bulletin at 10/15/2012 07:25 AM EDT

The following new items have been posted:

Disparities in Health Care Quality Among Minority Women

Findings From the 2011 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports

Fact Sheet

Minorities and women often receive lower quality health care than their White and male counterparts. This document highlights data specific to key measures related to minorities and women. The information presented is based on the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports.
Select for print version (PDF File, 237 KB; Plugin Software Help).

Introduction
Cancer
Cardiovascular Disease
Diabetes
HIV/AIDS
Maternal and Child Health
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Supportive and Palliative Care
Health Care Delivery and Systems
Summary
Additional Information

Introduction

Since 2003, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has annually reported on progress and opportunities for improving health care quality and reducing health care disparities. As mandated by the U.S. Congress, the National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) focuses on “national trends in the quality of health care provided to the American people” while the National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR) focuses on “prevailing disparities in health care delivery as it relates to racial factors and socioeconomic factors in priority populations.” Priority populations include racial and ethnic minorities, low-income groups, women, children, older adults, residents of rural areas and inner cities, and individuals with disabilities and special health care needs.
This document highlights data specific to key measures related to two priority populations, minorities and women. The information presented provides an extended analysis beyond the NHQR and NHDR but is organized around the same framework. When applicable, data analyzed for minority women are compared with men. For all measures, both race and ethnicity data were reviewed.

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Cancer

The reports reflect the recent recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for mammograms every 2 years for women ages 50-74:

In 2008, Black and Asian women ages 50-74 years were more likely to receive a mammogram than White and Hispanic women.
From 2000 to 2007, rates of advanced stage breast cancer were lower among Asian or Pacific Islander (API) and American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN) women compared with White women and among Hispanic women compared with non-Hispanic White women. Since 2003, rates have been higher among Black women compared with White women.
Between 2000 and 2007, Black women had higher breast cancer death rates than White women. API and AI/AN women had lower rates than White women, while Hispanic women had lower rates than non-Hispanic White women.
Asian women were less likely than White women to receive a pap smear in 2008.
In 2007, Hispanic women were more likely than non-Hispanic White women to be diagnosed with cervical cancer at an advanced stage.
Finally, in 2007, for all racial and ethnic groups, men were more likely to die from lung cancer than women.

Summary

Improving quality and reducing disparities require measurement and reporting, but these are not the ultimate goals. The fundamental purpose of improvement in health care is to make all patients' and families' lives better. The NHQR and NHDR concentrate on tracking health care quality and disparities at the national level, but the statistics reported in the reports reflect the aggregated everyday experiences of patients and their providers across the Nation. It makes a difference in people's lives when breast cancer is diagnosed early with timely mammography; when a patient suffering from a heart attack is given the correct lifesaving treatment in a timely fashion; when medications are correctly administered; and when doctors listen to their patients and their families, show them respect, and answer their questions in a culturally and linguistically skilled manner.
Improving quality and reducing disparities require measurement and reporting, but these are not the ultimate goals. The fundamental purpose of improvement in health care is to make all patients' and families' lives better. The NHQR and NHDR concentrate on tracking health care quality and disparities at the national level, but the statistics reported in the reports reflect the aggregated everyday experiences of patients and their providers across the Nation. It makes a difference in people's lives when breast cancer is diagnosed early with timely mammography; when a patient suffering from a heart attack is given the correct lifesaving treatment in a timely fashion; when medications are correctly administered; and when doctors listen to their patients and their families, show them respect, and answer their questions in a culturally and linguistically skilled manner.

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Additional Information

The 2011 National Healthcare Quality Report and National Healthcare Disparities Report are available online at http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qrdr11.htm.
Information on programs and activities related to women's health and minority health at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is available on the AHRQ Web site at www.ahrq.gov/research/minorix.htm. For information and/or questions about specific activities related to priority populations, you may contact us at: Prioritypops@ahrq.hhs.gov.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Office of Extramural Research, Education, and Priority Populations (OEREP)
Division of Priority Populations
540 Gaither Road
Rockville, MD 20850

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AHRQ Publication No. 12-0006-3-EF
Current as of October 2012

Internet Citation:

Disparities in Health Care Quality Among Minority Women: Findings From the 2011 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. AHRQ Publication No. 12-0006-3-EF, October 2012. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.

http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhqrdr11/nhqrminoritywomen11.htm