MCPR 2002 - Measuring the Quality of Pennsylvania's Commercial HMOs - Key Findings
HMOs in Pennsylvania outperformed their national counterparts for the second consecutive year in all 15 of the prevention-related categories in this report.
HMOs in Pennsylvania improved their results over the prior year in all 15 prevention-related categories.
For the fourth consecutive year, Pennsylvania HMOs achieved higher member satisfaction rates than the national average.
For the second year in a row, this report shows a statistically significant correlation between well-controlled blood pressure levels and lower hospitalization rates for high blood pressure.
While there was not a significant correlation this year between well-controlled blood sugar (HbA1c) levels and diabetes hospitalization rates, it is important to note that the overall hospitalization rate for diabetes decreased. This decline occurred despite the fact that the number of members with diabetes enrolled in HMOs increased. This may suggest that HMO prevention measures are having a positive effect.
For each of the surgical procedure categories covered in this report, HMO members were more likely to experience complications than those in fee-for-service plans.
There continues to be significant variation in breast reconstruction surgery following mastectomy (in the same admission) among the HMOs in Pennsylvania. Other studies have cited variation in preoperative counseling, surgeon preferences, availability of trained surgeons, patient preferences and practice patterns as possible reasons for such differences.
While the complication rate for both abdominal and vaginal hysterectomies decreased between 1998 and 2001, the procedure rate for all hysterectomies increased from 42.7 to 55.8 per 10,000 female members during the same time period.
HMO members who had hysterectomies were more likely than fee-for-service members to have an abdominal hysterectomy, which has a higher length of stay and complication rate than a vaginal hysterectomy.
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