AHRQ has released its 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (NHQDR), which provides policymakers, health system leaders and the public with a statistical portrait of how effectively the healthcare delivery system provides safe, high-quality and equitable care to all Americans. The report’s “Portrait of American Healthcare” offers numerous important insights, including:
- Life expectancy in the United States lags behind life expectancy in similarly developed countries, and the gap has grown since 1980.
- COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in 2020.
- A shortage of primary care health professionals compromises access to services in more than 60 percent of U.S. counties.
- Social determinants of health may have a stronger influence on people’s health outcomes than clinical services provided by healthcare delivery systems.
This year’s report includes data on four Special Emphasis Topics: maternal health; child and adolescent mental health; substance use disorders; and oral health.
Read more:
- 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (NHQDR)
- NHQDR Data Tools (these allow users to explore trends and analyses using data from the report)