Why is it important?
Checking women 40 to 69 years old for breast cancer saves lives. When breast cancer is found early, there is a much better chance that it can be successfully treated. The most common way to check for breast cancer is to get a mammogram. A mammogram is an x-ray picture of your breasts.
What your doctor should do:
Your doctor should remind you how often you need a mammogram.
What does this report mean?
This data shows how many people who needed a mammogram received it at each medical office. The higher the score, the better.
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Why is it important?
Testing women 21 to 65 years old for cervical cancer helps save lives. Cervical cancer occurs when unusual cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus that sits at the back of the vagina.
Cervical cancer can often be cured when it is found early. It is usually found through a Pap Smear, also called a Pap Test. When found early, the chance of curing cervical cancer is very high. During this test, the doctor uses a small brush to take cells from your cervix. Another doctor then looks at the cells under a microscope. A Pap Test does not detect uterine or ovarian cancer.
What your doctor should do:
Your doctor should talk with you about scheduling a Pap Smear.
What does this report mean?
This data shows how many women ages 21 to 65 received a Pap Smear at least once in the past three years. The higher the score, the better.
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What is this?
Some women may be having Pap tests more often than they should. Screening when it is not recommended may lead to more harm than good. Giving too many tests may cause women to worry when they do not need to and may cause them to get more medical procedures than they actually need. Too much testing can also increase healthcare costs overall.
What does this tell me?
This score looks at the number of women who did not need a Pap test but had one anyway. These women include:
- Women between the ages of 24 and 65 with a hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus and cervix) who had one or more Pap tests after their hysterectomy.
- Women between the ages of 24 and 65 (without a hysterectomy) who had two or more Pap tests in the measurement year or the two years prior.
- Women who are 67 years or older who had 1 or more Pap tests after their 67th birthday.
Some women still need Pap tests more than once every 3 years, such as women with cervical dysplasia, HPV, a history of cervical cancer, HIV or DES exposure, or an abnormal Pap test in the previous 5 years.
Why is this important?
Over testing may cause women to worry when they do not need to and may cause them to get more medical procedures than they actually need. Too much testing can also increase healthcare costs overall.
Lower numbers are better in this case because it means that only women who need screening have had the test.
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Why is it important?
Chlamydia (klah MIH dee ah) is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by an infection that is passed from one person to another during sexual contact. There often are not any symptoms, but once Chlamydia is detected, it is easy to treat. If lf left untreated, it could affect a woman's ability to get pregnant.
What you doctor should do:
You should discuss with your doctor your sexual activity to see if you need testing for Chlamydia and other sexually transmitted diseases.
What does this report mean?
This data shows how many women between the ages of 15 and 25 were tested for Chlamydia. The higher the score, the better.
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Why is it important?
Checking adults 50 to 75 years old for colon cancer saves lives. When colon cancer is found early, there is a much better chance it can be successfully treated. There are many ways to check for colon cancer, no single test is best for everyone.
What your doctor should do:
Discuss with your doctor when you need a test to check for colon cancer and which test is best for you.
What does this report mean?
This data shows how many people are up to date with colon cancer screening. The higher the score, the better.
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What is this test and why is it important?
Checking your blood sugar level is an important part of taking care of your diabetes (dye-uh-BEE-teez). The HbA1c - (HE-moe-glow-bin a - 1 - c) test lets people with diabetes and their doctor know what their blood sugar levels have been over the last three months. You want to keep your blood sugar level as normal as possible. The goal for most healthy diabetics is less than 7. For those with diabetes and other health issues, the goal is less than 8
What your doctor should do.
Your doctor should discuss with you the results of the test and remind you when it is due.
What does this report mean?
The higher the score the more people who have had this test. The higher the score, the better.
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What is this test and why is it important?
There are two types of cholesterol (koh-LES-tuh-rawl): good and bad. "Bad cholesterol" can build up and block the flow of blood through your body. This can cause a heart attack or stroke. The medical term for "bad cholesterol" is "LDL-C." You need to get a blood test to check your cholesterol levels. The results of the test let you and your doctor know if your "bad cholesterol" is too high. If it is too high, talk with your doctor about what you can do to lower it.
What your doctor should do:
Your doctor should give you a blood test to check your cholesterol level and talk to you about the results.
What does this report mean?
This shows how many diabetic patients at each medical office received a cholesterol test when they needed one. The higher the score, the better.
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What is this test and why is it important?
Diabetes (dye-uh-BEE-teez) can cause your kidneys to stop working. If you have diabetes, you need to get a urine test to check for kidney problems. This test can let you and your doctor know if you need to take steps to keep your kidneys working.
How many people got the care they needed:
This shows how many diabetic patients received a urine test when they needed one. The higher the score, the better.
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Why is this important?
A1C level is indicates an average blood sugar over a three month period. If your A1C is 9 percent, this means your blood glucose level, on average, is about 210 mg/dl. This result is high and unhealthy. Some action should be taken to improve blood glucose control, such as eating more healthfully, being more active, and changing or adding to glucose-lowering medications. To find out which course of action is right discuss this with your diabetes care providers
What your doctor should do:
Your doctor should give you regular A1C tests to show what your blood sugar levels have been over the last three months,
What does this report mean?
How many people tested whose A1c test was 9 or greater. These data may not be accurate as some practices may choose not to submit all data. The lower the score, the better.
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Why is this important?
A1C level is indicates an average blood sugar over a three month period. If your A1C is 8 percent, this means your blood glucose level, on average, is about 183 mg/dl. This result is acceptable for someone with other medical problems. Some action might be taken to improve blood glucose control, such as eating more healthfully, being more active, and changing or adding to glucose-lowering medications. To find out which course of action is right discuss this with your diabetes care providers
What your doctor should do:
Your doctor should give you regular A1C tests to show what your blood sugar levels have been over the last three months, and talk with you about the results.
What does this report mean?
This score shows how many of the people tested had an A1c test was less than 8. These data may not be accurate as some practices may choose not to submit all data. The higher the score, the better
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Why is this important?
A1C level is indicates an average blood sugar over a three month period. If your A1C is 7 percent, this means your blood glucose level, on average, is about 154 mg/dl. This result is good. Discuss this with your diabetes care providers.
What your doctor should do:
Your doctor should give you regular HbA1c tests to show what your blood sugar levels have been over the last three months, and talk with you about the results.
What does this report mean?
This score shows how many of the people tested had an A1c test was less than 7. These data may not be accurate as some practices may choose not to submit all data. The higher the score, the better.
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What is this test and why is it important?
There are two types of cholesterol (koh-LES-tuh-rawl): good and bad. "Bad cholesterol" can build up and block the flow of blood through your body. This can cause a heart attack or stroke. The medical term for "bad cholesterol" is "LDL-C." You need to get a blood test to check your cholesterol levels. The results of the test let you and your doctor know if your bad cholesterol is too high. The bad cholesterol or LDL-C goal for most people is less than 100.
What your doctor should do:
Your doctor should give you a blood test to check your LDL-C level and talk to you about the results.
What does this report mean?
This score shows how many patients with Diabetes (out of 100) at each medical office that had a LDL-C level that was less that was less than 100. These data may not be accurate as some practices may choose not to submit all data. The higher the score, the better.
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Why is this important?
People with diabetes (dye-uh-BEE-teez) may have high blood pressure. High blood pressure makes your heart work harder. It can increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke or kidney disease. Having normal blood pressure can reduce your chances of having these problems. The blood pressure goal for most diabetics is less than 140/90.
What your doctor should do:
Your doctor should check your blood pressure during each office visit. You should discuss with your doctor how to keep your blood pressure in good control.
What does this report mean?
This test shows how many patients (out of 100) with diabetes at each medical office had blood pressure that was less than 140/90 in their most recent test. These data may not be accurate as some practices may choose not to submit all data. The higher the score, the better.
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Why is this important?
To receive optimal diabetes care, you and your health care provider need to take care of your blood sugar, bad cholesterol, and blood pressure all at once. HbA1c levels should be less than 8. LDL or "bad cholesterol" levels should be less than 100. And, your blood pressure should be less than 140/90.
What your doctor should do:
You and your doctor should plan how often you need to check your blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. You and your doctor need to work together to manage all of these at once.
What does this report mean?
How many people out of 100 at each medical office who achieved the optimal diabetes care: HbA1c <8.0, LDL <100, BP <140/90. These data may not be accurate as some practices may choose not to submit all data. The higher the score, the better.
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Why is this important?
Many medicines have a generic brand that will work the same way. Buying a generic drug instead of the brand name can save you money on your medication and give you quality care at lower cost.
What your doctor should do:
Your doctor should let you know if there are generic brands of your medicines that you can take.
What does this report mean?
This score is the percentage of medications that can be generic that are used as generics. The higher the score, the better.
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Why is this important?
An ED visit is considered avoidable if it is non-urgent (care was not required within 12 hours) or is urgent but the condition could have been treated in a physician's office (infant fever), or if the urgency of the condition leading to the visit could have been avoided with proper preventive/primary care (an asthma flare-up).
Average ED wait times for non- urgent can be as long as two hours, the care can cost as much as three times what it would cost in a providers office and the care will not be tailored to you. The ED is an important source of emergency care for people in your community. When the ED is used for health problems that are not emergencies, patients may not get good quality care and the care is more expensive than at a regular doctor's office. The lower the rate, the better.
Good Reasons to Go to an Emergency Room:
- Loss of consciousness.
- Signs of heart attack these include: pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest; tightness, burning, or aching under the breastbone; chest pain with lightheadedness.
- Signs of a stroke, including:
- sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body;
- sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in one eye;
- loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech;
- sudden, severe headaches with no known cause;
- Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, especially when accompanied by any other stroke symptoms.
- Severe shortness of breath.
- Bleeding that does not stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure.
- Sudden, severe pain.
- Poisoning (Note: If possible, call your local poison control center first and ask for immediate home treatment advice-certain poisons should be vomited as soon as possible while others should be diluted with water as soon as possible. Such preliminary home treatment could save your life.)
- A severe or worsening reaction to an insect bite or sting, or to a medication, especially if breathing is difficult.
- A major injury, such as a head trauma.
- Unexplained stupor, drowsiness or disorientation.
- Coughing up or vomiting blood.
- Severe or persistent vomiting.
- Suicidal or homicidal feelings.
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Bad Reasons to Go to an Emergency Room:
- Earache.
- Minor cuts where bleeding is controlled.
- A minor dog or animal bite where bleeding is controlled (but see your doctor--a rabies shot may be necessary).
- A broken bone (call your doctor to see if he/she can treat you the same day, if not-- or if bone is showing, limb is deformed--go to the ER).
- A sprain.
- A sunburn or minor burn from cooking.
- An insect sting or delayed swelling from a sting (if there is breathing difficulty, go to the ER).
- A skin rash.
- Fever (if there is a convulsion, go to the ER).
- Sexually transmitted diseases.
- Colds and cough, sore throat, flu.
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What does this tell me?
This score shows the number of ED visits made by a medical office's adult patients. Higher numbers may mean that patients are using the ED more often than is expected or appropriate. A lower number is better.
What your doctor should do:
You should discuss with your doctor who to call when you are ill after hours.
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What is this?
Acute bronchitis affects airways to the lungs, often causing a cough, chest discomfort, and fever. Because a virus usually causes it, antibiotics cannot treat it because antibiotics only work on bacterial infections.
Why is this important?
Like other drugs, antibiotics can have side effects. Using antibiotics when they are not needed may put you at risk of harmful side effects with no benefit. Taking antibiotics when they are not needed is not good because bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, meaning antibiotics lose their power to kill bacteria. The higher the score, the better.
What does this tell me?
This score shows the number of patients with acute bronchitis who were not given an antibiotic. Higher numbers are better because it means doctors are not prescribing antibiotics for infections caused by viruses, when they cannot work.
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What is this?
ACE stands for angiotensin (an-jee-oh-ten-sin) converting enzyme. ACE inhibitors are a medicine that treats high blood pressure in people who have heart failure, diabetes, or kidney disease. ARB stands for angiotensin receptor blocker. ARBs are also a type of medicine that treats high blood pressure (also called hypertension).
Long term use of these drugs needs monitoring and follow-up by the prescribing physician to check for side-effects and to adjust drug dosage if needed.
What does this tell me?
This score looks at the number of patients who were given at least a 180-day supply of ACE or ARB medication and were tested yearly to check for side effects. A higher number is better.
Why is this important?
These medications can be very helpful when they work right. It is important that doctors order blood tests and review the test results for patients on these medicines. Based on test results, a doctor may change the type of medicine or dose (how much you take).
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What is this?
Diuretics (dahy-uh-ret-iks) are a type of medicine, called "water pills." They help the body release water through urine. Diuretics are often used to help control high blood pressure.
Long-term use of these drugs needs monitoring and follow-up by the prescribing physician to check for side effects and to adjust drug dosage if needed.
What does this tell me?
This score looks at the number of patients who received at least a 180-day (or 6 month) supply of diuretics and who also were given a test to check for side effects. A higher number is better.
Why is this important?
Diuretics can be very helpful when they work right. It is important that doctors order blood tests and review the test results for patients on these medicines. Based on test results, a doctor may change the type of medicine or dose (how much you take).
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What does this mean?
This score shows how many patients who returned surveys said they were happy with their doctor.
For example:
- Did the doctor listen carefully to the patient?
- Did the doctor explain things and give instructions in a way that is easy to understand?
- Did the doctor seem to know the important information about patient's medical history?
- Did the doctor spend enough time with the patient?
- Did the doctor show respect for what the patient had to say?
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What does this mean?
This score shows how many patients were satisfied on a survey with contacting their doctor.
For example:
- Did the visit started within 15 minutes of the appointment?
- Was the appointment for care was scheduled as soon as the patient needed it?
- Did the patient receive an answer the same day when they called with a medical question?
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What does this mean?
This score shows how many patients were satisfied on a survey with follow up of care.
For example:
- Was the doctor informed and up to date about the care the patient received from a specialist?
- After a test, did someone from the doctor's office follow up with the patient on the results?
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What does this mean?
This score shows how many patients were satisfied on a survey for office staff.
For example:
- Were the clerks and receptionists helpful?
- Were the clerks and receptionists respectful?
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What does this mean?
This score shows how many patients were satisfied on a survey with their provider's effort to prevent problems.
For example:
- Did the doctor and patient talk about healthy diet and eating habits?
- Did the doctor and patient talk about exercise or physical activity?
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Breast Cancer Screening
