Mass. Primary Care Gets High Quality Marks
Massachusetts primary care scores better than the national average on most quality measures, according to a new report by the nonprofit Massachusetts Health Quality Partners.
The annual report checks whether physician groups provide appropriate care in a variety of situations, including offering appropriate screening tests, following up with patients starting medication and controlling cholesterol, blood sugar and high blood pressure. On average, Massachusetts doctors performed above the national average on 29 of 31 measures and scored above the national 90th percentile on 14 of them.
The report noted that quality of care was similar in different parts of the state, but it varied dramatically among providers. For example, the state's pediatricians used correct testing for strep throat before starting antibiotics 93.4 percent of the time, compared with a national average of 77.6 percent. However, while some pediatricians scored 100 percent on this measure, others only gave the appropriate care 60 percent of the time.
The report allows patients to find results for many measures for their own doctor's office.
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