November 20, 2008
UW Medicine clinics, medical centers participate in community checkup report
The Puget Sound Health Alliance on Thursday, November 13, unveiled its second Community Checkup report. The checkup aims to measure progress on the regional and facility level for certain health care quality measures, including preventive care (screening for breast, cervical and colon cancer, and chlamydia), appropriate use for commonly overused services including antiobiotics and imaging (x-rays and MRIs) and generic drug prescribing. The Alliance draws on data from Hospital Compare, run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), The Leapfrog Group and the Washington State Department of Health for its hospital analysis.
The Alliance report includes health care information on care provided by 46 medical groups at more than 170 clinics across King, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish and Thurston counties. UW Medicine facilities in the report include UW Medicine Neighborhood Clinics, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center and Hall Health Primary Care Center.
Dr. David Fleming, chairman of the Alliance and director of Seattle and King County Public Health, said the findings aren’t necessarily stellar. “There is not anyone performing consistently above average or below average,” he said. Fleming said overall, a variation in care exists in our region and “everyone has the opportunity to improve.” Providers, payers, health plans and consumers all participate in the Alliance.
UW Medicine facilities fared well on a number of quality indicators. In use of antibiotics for the common cold, Harborview Medical Center scored 100 percent, while UWMC and the neighborhood clinics had rates of 94 and 97 percent. This measure looked at the percentage of children age 18 months to 18 years who went to the doctor for a common cold (upper respiratory infection) who were not prescribed an antibiotic for three days after the diagnosis. Under the back pain quality measure (avoidance of x-ray, MRI and CT scans), UWMC and the neighborhood clinics had rates of 81 and 82 percent — both close to the regional average of 83 percent.
Dr. Pete McGough, chief medical officer of the neighborhood clinics, said UW Medicine is already hard at work to improve on the various quality measures. At the clinics, 28 physicians have achieved recognition in diabetes care from the National Commission on Quality Assurance (out of a total 198 in the state). McGough said the clinics are also working with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance to bring the mobile mammography van to various locations, and staff is also improving related scheduling of appointments.
For more details, visit http://www.WACommunityCheckup.org.
