One way to measure quality in primary care is to look at the care that a doctor gives to each patient, and to compare it with a set of national standards. The standards—called clinical quality measures—tell us what high-quality health care should look like in a doctors' office. Comparing doctors to these standards shows us how consistently they deliver care to patients.
When you search for doctors' offices on this website, you can compare how well each office performed on 7 clinical quality measures for adult primary care, and 5 for pediatric primary care.
Having this information can help you make a more informed choice when choosing a doctor's office. You also can use it to improve the quality of your own health care. Doctors also use this information to know how they can make the care they give even better.
The health topics in this resource section relate directly to the clinical quality measures this website reports on. The clinical quality measures reported on this site were developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care in the United States. Doctors’ offices, hospitals, and most other health care organizations around the country use these same measures to track the quality of care they are providing.
What is the Clinical Quality Report?
The Clinical Quality Report has information about the quality of health care given to patients in Massachusetts. This includes preventive care services (such as cancer screenings or children's well visits) and chronic disease care (such as asthma or diabetes care). Healthcare Compass has results on clinical quality care for over 500 doctors' offices in Massachusetts. This report comes from care that was given to patients in 2020. The patients included in this report have commercial insurance. This report does not include information for patients covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
How did MHQP select clinical quality measures to report?
MHQP is using Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) quality measures that were developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). These measures are evidence-based (researched) and are used across the United States for measuring health care quality in doctors' offices. These measures are used with NCQA’s permission, and HEDIS® benchmarks* were created independently by MHQP.
HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Was my doctors' office included in this report?
To be included in thie clincial quality report:
- Doctors' offices must have at least 3 doctors and 2 measures with enough reliable (trustworthy) data to be publicly reportable.
- This report is based on where doctors were working as of December 31, 2020. If your doctor did not work at your current doctors' office in December 2020, they may be part of a different doctors’ office in this report.
What measures are reported?
Clinical quality measures for adult primary care:
Asthma Care
Medicine Use for People with Asthma (Ages 5-64)
Why measuring asthma medication use is important:
- Doctors often prescribe two types of medicine for patients with asthma. One is a long-term control medicine (also known as preventive medicine). It is taken every day to help patients manage symptoms and prevent asthma attacks. The other is a quick-relief medicine. It is taken during asthma attacks when symptoms are worse.
- Taken as prescribed, long-term control medicine can help prevent or reduce the number of asthma attacks a patient has. This means that a person with asthma might not need quick-relief medicine as often and will be less likely to need to go to the hospital to treat an asthma attack.
Behavioral Health
Long-term Medicine for Depression
Why measuring long-term use of medicine for depression is important:
- People with depression may have trouble doing daily activities. Medicines may help. It is important that patients with depression stay on their medicine for at least six months to be sure their symptoms have lessened or disappeared as a result of the medicine. Taking medicines for less than six months is not long enough to know the full effects of the medicine on a patient’s depression.
Diabetes Care for Adults
Blood Sugar (HbA1C) Screening Test
Why measuring diabetes care is important:
- Diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) disease that affects the way a person's body processes sugar. In 2018, about 34 million people in the United States had diabetes. People with diabetes need to maintain near-normal (standard) blood sugar levels, which are measured by a hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test. People with diabetes should have an HbA1c test at least once a year.
Diagnostic and Preventive Care
Cervical Cancer Screening (Ages 21 to 64)
Why screening for cervical cancer with a Pap test is important:
- Cervical cancer is a slow-growing cancer and is usually caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). A Pap test is a screening test used to look for changes in the cells of the cervix (the lower part of the womb that opens into the vagina). Because cervical cancer takes a long time to develop, regular Pap tests may show changes in cells before they become cancer. Women should have a Pap test every three to five years, depending on age. Getting regular Pap tests can help to find cancer early, when treatment has the best chance of success.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests (Ages 50 to 75)
Why measuring colorectal cancer screening tests is important:
- Having a screening for colorectal cancer can help to find colorectal cancer early. The earlier this cancer is found, the more successful the treatment can be. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among adults in the United States. Most people should have a colorectal cancer screening test every ten years.
Using Imaging Tests for Lower Back Pain Only When Appropriate
Why measuring use of imaging tests for lower back pain is important:
- Having an imaging test, such as an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan, may not be needed when you have lower back pain. Most people with lower back pain feel better in about a month, even if they do not have an imaging test. Getting an imaging test for their back pain does not make people get better faster. In fact, getting imaging tests when you do not need them exposes you to unnecessary radiation. Over time, too much exposure to radiation can be harmful.
Women's Health
Breast Cancer Screening (Ages 50 to 74)
Why screening for breast cancer with a mammogram is important:
- Breast cancer is the second most common cancer for women in the United States. When breast cancer is found early, it has a higher chance of being treated successfully. A mammogram (an X-ray of the breast) is a screening that can find signs of cancer before you may be able to feel something like a hard lump in your breast. Women should have a mammogram every one or two years.
Clinical quality measures for pediatric primary care:
Asthma Care
Medicine Use for People with Asthma (Ages 5-64)
Why measuring asthma medication use is important:
- Doctors often prescribe two types of medicine for patients with asthma. One is a long-term control medicine (also known as preventive medicine). It is taken every day to help patients manage symptoms and prevent asthma attacks. The other is a quick-relief medicine. It is taken during asthma attacks when symptoms are worse.
- Taken as prescribed, long-term control medicine can help prevent or reduce the number of asthma attacks a patient has. This means that a person with asthma might not need quick-relief medicine as often and will be less likely to need to go to the hospital to treat an asthma attack.
Pediatric Medications and Testing
Correct Antibiotic Use for Upper Respiratory Infections
Why measuring if antibiotics are correctly used for upper respiratory infections is important:
- Antibiotics should only be used to treat bacterial infections. Antibiotics do not cure colds, most sore throats, the flu, or other upper respiratory infections caused by viruses. In fact, antibiotics can cause harm if they are used when not needed.
Correct Testing for Strep Throat
Why measuring correct testing for strep throat is important:
- Antibiotics will not help a child to feel better if a child takes them when they are not needed. A child should only be treated with antibiotics if their sore throat is caused by a bacterial infection. A strep test (or throat culture) helps the doctor know if a child's sore throat is caused by a bacterial infection. If the sore throat is caused by a virus, allergy, or another health condition, a child does not need an antibiotic. In fact, antibiotics can cause harm if they are used when not needed.
Well-Child Visits
Well Visits for Children 0 to 15 Months of Age
Why measuring if children have well visits is important:
- Children need to have many visits to their doctor in the first 15 months of life. These well visits (check-ups) are to see how well a child is growing and to provide preventive care, such as screening tests and vaccines to protect against childhood diseases. These visits are also a way for parents and doctors to start working with each other as partners for the child's health.
Women's Health
Chlamydia Screening (Ages 16 to 20)
Why getting tested for chlamydia is important:
- Chlamydia is an infection that is easily spread through sexual contact. If it is left untreated, chlamydia can have serious consequences such as infertility and a greater chance of contracting HIV. Although people of any gender can have chlamydia, it is most common in women. Because chlamydia has few symptoms and most people with chlamydia do not show symptoms, it is very important to have screening test done as part of a yearly health exam.
* Massachusetts HEDIS® Measure Benchmarks Disclaimer
The Massachusetts HEDIS® Benchmarks were created independently by MHQP. The Massachusetts HEDIS® benchmarks stem from HEDIS® rates that have been audited and approved by a National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)-certified HEDIS® Compliance Auditor. HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
NCQA has granted MHQP permission to create and display the Massachusetts HEDIS® Benchmarks. The creation, display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on the Massachusetts HEDIS® Benchmarks is solely that of MHQP, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion.