MHQP Releases Biennial Clinical Quality Data for Primary Care Practices
(July 2024)
While some preventive care measures have rebounded, several have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Every two years, in partnership with the Center for Health Information Analysis (CHIA), MHQP collects clinical quality performance data from the state’s health plans for commercially insured patients in primary care practices across the Commonwealth. We then aggregate these data and report the results.
Consistent with MHQP’s longstanding commitment to data transparency, we are pleased to announce that we have released the practice-by-practice level results for 2022. These can be viewed on MHQP’s consumer-facing website, www.HealthcareCompassMA.org.
As part of our analysis and evaluation, we also look at macro-level trends and report our findings and insights. When we compared data collected in 2020 (i.e., during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic) to data collected in 2018 (i.e., prior to the pandemic) we found that preventive care declined during the pandemic, especially for procedures that required patients to visit a clinical setting in person. When we compare data collected in 2022 (i.e., after the height of the pandemic) to data collected in 2018, we find some measures have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels or higher, while other measures remain below pre-pandemic performance.
These results are summarized in the table below (differences noted in green are statistically significant increases; differences noted in red are statistically significant declines):
| Measure | 2018 State Rate | 2020 State Rate | Change 2020 vs. 2018 | 2022 State Rate | Change 2022 vs. 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer Screening | 85.2% | 81.7% | -3.5 | 84.8% | -0.4 |
| Cervical Cancer Screening | 86.6% | 85.2% | -1.4 | 81.4% | -5.2 |
| Chlamydia Screening in Women, Ages 16 to 20 | 75.1% | 70.2% | -4.9 | 73.6% | -1.5 |
| Chlamydia Screening in Women, Ages 21 to 24 | 74.5% | 69.6% | -4.9 | 71.2% | -3.3 |
| Medicine Use for People with Asthma | 75.3% | 76.4% | +1.1 | 80.3% | +5.0 |
| Follow-Up After Emergency Department Visit for Mental Illness (7-Day) | 69.8% | 71.4% | +1.7 | 77.0% | +7.2 |
| Follow-up After Hospitalization for Mental Illness (7-day) | 59.3% | 61.4% | +2.1 | 62.1% | +2.8 |
| Glucose/Cholesterol Testing for Children and Adolescents on Antipsychotics | N/A | 35.3% | N/A | 42.5% | N/A |
| Non-Use of Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain | 82.4% | 84.0% | +1.6 | 80.3% | -2.1 |
| Well-Child Visits, 0 – 15 Months | 94.7% | 93.6% | -1.1 | 94.6% | -0.1 |
| Well-Child Visits, 15 – 30 Months | N/A | 96.9% | N/A | 95.2% | N/A |
| Child/Adolescent Well Care Visits, 3 – 11 years | N/A | 87.7% | N/A | 89.3% | N/A |
| Child/Adolescent Well Care Visits, 12 – 17 years | N/A | 84.7% | N/A | 86.2% | N/A |
| Child/Adolescent Well Care Visits, 18 – 21 years | N/A | 61.8% | N/A | 64.5% | N/A |
Primary care practices throughout the Commonwealth are facing tremendous challenges in the post-pandemic era. These data reveal the impact on patients, with several key preventive care measures remaining below 2018 rates in 2022. When preventive care is suboptimal, use of the emergency room increases, costs escalate, and patient outcomes suffer.
“Primary care practices throughout the state deserve our gratitude and support for making the most of a challenging situation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic,” said MHQP CEO and President Barbra Rabson. “Yet, the fact that some key preventive care measures have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels is distressing. These results should spark additional support for primary care as the foundation of our health system for the benefit of all patients.”