The 2007 State of Health Care Quality report includes data on over 30 HEDIS and CAHPS measures. Definitions of all measures are included in the report. Below are definitions of several select measures.

For more information on how NCQA develops measures, click here.

• Adolescent Immunization Status (Combo 2): This measures estimates the percentage of enrolled adolescents turning 13 years old who had a second MMR, three hepatitis B and one chicken pox vaccinations by their 13th birthday.
  
• Beta-Blocker Treatment After a Heart Attack: This measure estimates the percentage of members 35 years of age and older hospitalized and discharged after surviving a heart attack who received a prescription for beta-blockers upon discharge. See Persistence of Beta-Blocker Treatment After a Heart Attack.
  
• Breast Cancer Screening: This measure estimates the percentage of women between 40 and 69 years old who had a least one mammogram in the past two years.
  
• Cervical Cancer Screening: This measure estimates the percentage of women ages 21 to 64 who had a least one Pap test in the past three years.
  
• Childhood Immunization Status (Combo 2): This measure estimates the percentage of children who turned two years old and received 4 doses of DTP or DTaP, 3 doses of OPV or IPV, 1 dose of MMR, 2 doses of Hib, 3 doses of hepatitis B and 1 doses of VZV.
  
• Cholesterol Management for Patients with Cardiovascular Conditions Control: This measure assesses the percentage of members 18 to 75 years of age who were discharged alive for acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypas graft, percutaneous translumina coronary angiplasty; or who had a diagnosis of ischemic vascular disease whose LDL-C level was controlled to <100mg/dL.
  
• Comprehensive Diabetes Care: These measures assess several important features of effective, multi-risk factor management of diabetes and its potential complications. The measures estimate the percentage of members 18 to 75 years of age with diabetes (type 1 and type 2) who had each of the following: HbA1c testing, poorly controlled HbA1c (lower is better for this measure), Good HbA1c control, eye exam, LDL-C screening, LDL-C controlled to less than 100 mg/dL, monitoring nephropathy, blood pressure control to less than 130/80 mm Hg, and blood pressure control to less than 140/90 mm Hg.
  
• Controlling High Blood Pressure: This measure estimates the percentage of hypertensive adults ages 18 to 85 whose blood pressure was controlled. Adequate control is defined as a blood pressure reading less than 140/90 mmHg during the past year.
  
• Flu Shots for Adults: This measure estimates the percentage of members 50 years of age and older who received a flu vaccine during the most recent flu season.
  
• Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain: This measure estimates the percentage of people ages 18 to 50 years of age who had an episode of acute low back pain with no risk factors or signs of serious pathology and did not receive an imaging study in the following 28 days. Higher scores indicate fewer potentially inappropriate imaging studies.
  
• Persistence of Beta-Blocker Treatment After a Heart Attack: This measure estimates the percentage of members 35 years of age and older hospitalized and discharged after surviving a heart attack who received persistent beta-blocker treatment for six months after discharge.
  
• Use of High-Risk Medications in the Elderly: The Use of High-Risk Medications in the Elderly measure assesses the percentage of Medicare members who received at least one drug to be avoided in the elderly and the percentage of Medicare members who received at least two different drugs to be avoided in the elderly. A lower rate represents better performance. A complete list of drugs to be avoided is available by clicking here.

Market-Specific Quality Data

Plan and/or location-specific performance information suitable for use in developing local or regional health plan “report cards” is available to members of the media. Contact NCQA Communications at communications@ncqa.org to request local data.

Other requests for NCQA data should be directed to informationproducts@ncqa.org. NCQA will work with you to determine a data license which data elements best fits your objectives. For more information, click here.