New Chartbook Identifies Health Care Disparities for Hispanics

Steep challenges remain for many Hispanics around access to and quality of health care, according to AHRQ’s recently releasedChartbook on Health Care for Hispanics. For example, about 33 percent of Hispanics ages 18-64 were uninsured during the second quarter of 2014 compared with about 11 percent of whites. From 2008 to 2012, 25 percent of measures of suicide prevention and mental health care worsened among Hispanics. Hispanics also received lower quality diabetes care than whites for more than half of measures. And from 2002 to 2012, among Hispanics 18 and older who visited a doctor within the previous 12 months, about 11 percent reported poor communication with their doctor versus about 7 percent of whites. These and other findings come from the last in a series of chartbooks derived from AHRQ’s 2014 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. Many findings in the Chartbook are based on priorities outlined in the Heckler Report, the landmark 1985 HHS report that documented the existence of health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities. In addition to data on access and quality, the Chartbook includes a unique section on health care among Hispanics living on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Chartbook is complemented by Health Care Innovations for Hispanic Populations, the first in a new monthly AHRQ publication that highlights efforts by health care systems, clinics and other groups to reduce disparities among racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Chartbook findings are being disseminated with help from agencies such as the HHS Office of Minority Health, which recently posted ablog on the topic. AHRQ resources for Hispanics includepreventive health and patient safety materials. Call AHRQ’s Publications Clearinghouse, (800) 358-9295, to order limited free copies.

Cover of Chartbook on Hispanic Health Care

Chartbook for Hispanic Health Care

2014 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report

This Hispanic Health Care chartbook is part of a family of documents and tools that support the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (QDR). The QDR includes annual reports to Congress mandated in the Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-129). This chartbook includes a summary of trends across measures of Hispanic health care from the QDR and figures illustrating select measures of Hispanic health care. A PowerPoint version is also available that users can download for presentations.

Download Information

Chartbook on Hispanic Health Care [ PDF File, 4.13 MB ].
Chartbook on Hispanic Health Care: Slide Presentation [ PowerPoint File, 6.4 MB].

Persons using assistive technology may not be able to fully access information in these files. For assistance, contact Doreen Bonnett at (301) 427-1899 or Doreen.Bonnett@AHRQ.hhs.gov. The accessible version will be available by November 2015.

This document is in the public domain and may be used and reprinted without permission. Citation of the source is appreciated. Suggested citation: 2014 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report chartbook on health care for Hispanics. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; September 2015. AHRQ Pub. No. 15-0007-11-EF.

Page last reviewed October 2015

Internet Citation: Chartbook for Hispanic Health Care. October 2015. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/2014chartbooks/hispanichealth/index.html