The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released the 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, an annual report that researchers, policymakers, and others can use to build upon the strengths of our Nation’s health care system as well as address areas where improvement is still needed.
Among the compelling themes from this year’s report:
- The overall quality of health care in the United States continued to improve from 2000–2015
- Some of the most notable gains occurred in patient safety and “person-centered care”
- Insurance coverage expanded significantly for adults under 65 seeking insurance, though affordability remained an issue
Each of these trends is encouraging. Similar to previous years, however, the report found that the quality of care was often uneven when measured between racial, ethnic, and income groups.
Read more:
- 2016 NATIONAL HEALTHCARE QUALITY AND DISPARITIES REPORT. AHRQ Publication No. 17-0001. July 2017 (PDF)