Kaiser Permanente Leads the Nation in 11 Effectiveness of Care Measures

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente leads the nation with the most No. 1s receiving top marks in 11 out of 40 effectiveness of care measures among all reporting commercial health plans. These conclusions were based on information in the 2011 National Committee for Quality Assurance's Quality Compass® data.

Kaiser Permanente received top marks for:

• Weight assessment for children — body mass index percentile
• Counseling for nutrition for children
• Counseling for physical activity for children
• Chlamydia screening in women (ages 16–20, 21–24 and total)
• Appropriate testing for children with pharyngitis
• Appropriate use of medications for people with asthma (ages 12–50, total)
• Comprehensive diabetes care — LDL control less than 100 mg/dl
• Comprehensive diabetes care — medical attention for nephropathy
• Antidepressant medication management (effective acute phase)
• Antidepressant medication management (effective continuation phase)
• Annual monitoring for patients on persistent medications — anticonvulsants

"At Kaiser Permanente, our doctors and care teams excel in proactive prevention of illness, early detection of disease, and better treatment of ongoing conditions," said Amy Compton-Phillips, MD associate executive director, Quality, The Permanente Federation. The data from the Quality Compass demonstrates our commitment to providing high-quality care to our members through evidence-based measures."

Kaiser Permanente's nation-leading scores in 11 effectiveness of care measures from NCQA's Quality Compass® are a result of expert care and medical teams supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. A key differentiator in performance has also been Kaiser Permanente's increasing use of health information technology and its integrated electronic health record, Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®, which is the largest private electronic health record in the world. KP HealthConnect provides members with convenient, 24/7 access to their personal health information and to their care teams, with goals of increasing self-management and improving health outcomes.

"Kaiser Permanente has a long history of providing high-quality care to our members and patients," said Jed Weissberg, MD, senior vice president, Quality and Care Delivery Excellence, Kaiser Permanente. "Our approach to delivering quality is through our integrated system, which focuses on patient-centered care that meets the needs of each of our members. The data from this year's Quality Compass supports our great accomplishments in this area, and it provides consumers with the important information they need as they make choices about their health care."

NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality.

NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers.

The source for data contained in this publication is Quality Compass® 2011 and is used with the permission of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Quality Compass 2011 includes certain CAHPS data. Any data display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion. Quality Compass is a registered trademark of NCQA. CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.8 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.

http://www.kaiserpermanente.org

For more information:
Keith Paulsen, [email protected], 510-625-5667

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente