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AHRQ: States show improvement, but more work needed

Quality Improvement Monitor, April 7, 2005

States showed a 3% improvement in 14 categories of healthcare quality between 2002 and 2003, according to a new government report released April 4.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) examined data from nearly 100 measures from records at hospitals, health plans, nursing homes, home health agencies, and other organizations. The report measured performance on categories such as giving flu vaccines to state residents, prenatal care, and the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries who receive antibiotics after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

No one state performed well in every category, according to the report.

"There is no best state or worst state," said AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy. "Improvement is needed in every state."

Congress mandated the report. The first report was published in December 2003.

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