At once, the scorecard highlights some bright spots for the U.S., with notable gains in quality of care in areas that have been the main objective of public reporting or collaborative improvement initiatives. As an example, 50 % of adults with high blood pressure had it in check in 2007-2008, compared with only 31 percent in 1999-2000. Furthermore, hospital quality indicators to treat cardiac event, heart failure, and pneumonia, and prevention of surgical complications, have improved substantially in the united states since hospitals began publicly reporting their quality data via a federal website.
President Obama’s health care law is expected to expand health insurance to 32 million Americans over the next decade. Health policy experts anticipate that the wave of new insurance subscribers will lead to a spike in demand for medical services. Read full article >>