2010 National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Reports

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released the 2010 National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR), and the 2010 National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR). The NHDR focuses on "prevailing disparities in health care delivery as it relates to racial factors and socioeconomic factors in priority populations. The 2010 reports incorporate a number of recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Some of the main highlights of the reports include:

• Blacks and American Indians and Alaska Natives received worse care than Whites for about 40% of core measures.
• Asians received worse care than Whites for about 20% of core measures.
• Hispanics received worse care than non-Hispanic Whites for about 60% of core measures.
• Poor people received worse care than high-income peopleiv for about 80% of core measures.

• Blacks had worse access to care than Whites for one-third of core measures.
• Asians and American Indians and Alaska Natives had worse access to care than Whites for 1 of 5 core measures.
• Hispanics had worse access to care than non-Hispanic Whites for 5 of 6 core measures.
• Poor people had worse access to care than high-income people for all 6 core measures.

• Fewer than 20% of disparities faced by Blacks, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and poor people showed evidence of narrowing.
• The Asian-White gap was narrowing for about 30% of core measures, the largest proportion of any group, but most disparities were not changing.

• Among disparities in core access measures, only one showed reduction.

Residents of the inner-city and rural areas sometimes receive worse quality of care. 

• For most measures of quality of health care, differences across the urban-rural continuum were small. However, some disparities are noted. Compared with residents of large city suburbs, residents of large inner cities received worse care for about a quarter of quality measures tracked in the reports. Residents of micropolitan and noncore areas (areas typically regarded as "rural") received worse care for about 30% of measures.
• Disparities related to preventive care were common across urban and rural areas while disparities related to diabetes were largest for residents of large inner cities and noncore rural areas.

Disparities in access to care across the urban-rural continuum tended to be more common than disparities in quality of care.

• Compared with residents of large city suburbs, residents of large inner cities had worse access to care for about 35% of access measures tracked in the reports. Residents of micropolitan areas had worse access to care for 50% of access measures. Residents of noncore areas had worse access to care for about 40% of access measures.

Access the Reports on the AHQR website.

Addressing Behavioral Health Disparities to Improve Clinical Outcomes Webinar

The webinar Improving Outcomes in an Era of Health Care Reform: The Need for Addressing Health Disparities, on June 30, focusses on the link between behavioral health disparities and clinical outcomes. A major thrust of health care reform is its emphasis on clinical outcomes. As behavioral health providers and systems administrators grapple with the challenges this brings, reducing disparities based on geography, race and ethnicity, gender, and other known factors will be an important strategy for achieving this goal.

• Describe how reducing and eliminating health disparities is connected to improved clinical outcomes
• List five types of disparities in behavioral health care
• Describe the difference between individual and organizational cultural competence
• Describe the links between cultural and linguistic competence, quality care, and addressing disparities
• Develop an action to take within their own organization to improve cultural and linguistic competence

 

Three Spanish Publications About Medication-Assisted Treatment

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released three Spanish Publications about Medication-Assisted Treatment for opioid addiction. These new Spanish-language booklets will benefit individuals (and their families and friends) who are entering medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction. The booklets are:

Información sobre la Buprenorfina/The Facts About Buprenorphine for Treatment of Opioid Addiction: This brochure provides basic information about the use of buprenorphine in MAT for opioid addiction. It describes how buprenorphine works, as well as its proper use and common side effects. It also explains how buprenorphine fits into the overall recovery process.

Información sobre la Naltrexona/The Facts About Naltrexone for Treatment of Opioid Addiction: This brochure provides basic information about the use of naltrexone in MAT for opioid addiction. It describes how naltrexone works, as well as its proper use and common side effects. It also explains how naltrexone fits into the overall recovery process.

Tratamiento con ayuda de medicamentos para la adicción a los opiáceos/Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction: Facts for Families and Friends: This brochure provides basic information about MAT for opioid addiction. It describes medication options, as well as the proper use and common side effects. It also explains how medication fits into the overall recovery process.

NIMH Outreach Partnership Program for Organizations with Mental Health Focus

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is inviting applicants to submit proposals for consideration as an NIMH Outreach Partner.  Non-profit organizations that conduct outreach on mental health are invited to submit proposals for participation in the NIMH Outreach Partnership Program. Organizations with experience in child and adolescent mental health and/or mental health disparities are encouraged to apply.The Outreach Partnership Program works to increase the public’s access to science-based mental health information through partnerships with national and state nonprofit organizations. The Program has a particular emphasis on reaching historically underserved populations. The Program also strives to enhance opportunities for the public to benefit from participation in research. 

Eligibility Criteria

• Organizations located in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and New York City, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Texas Border Area, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. .
• Organizations that are tax exempt, with a non-profit-status, under any section of the United States tax code.
• Organizations that have an active record in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database.
• Organizations that demonstrate experience and capacity to disseminate information statewide, and conduct state or local outreach.
• Organizations that meet Federal Equal Employment Opportunity requirements.

Important Dates

• August 23, 2011, 4:00 PM (ET) Proposals due

Download the solicitation. Read more about the Outreach Partnership Program.

Behavioral Health, Disaster Relief & Cultural Competence

The latest issue of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) publication The Dialogue, focuses on several important issues for behavioral health, disaster relief and cultural competence. One of the pieces in this quarterly publication focuses on the importance of being educated about the cultural norms of the community you're working in and shares lessons learned from working in the Alaska Native community. In the article titled One Person’s Lessons Learned from Working with Alaska Native Communities, a FEMA employee delivers a first-person account of her experience assisting an Alaskan Native village in their recovery after a devastating flood. As she recounts the challenges of navigating cultural competency, she shares the importance of communicating respect for the indigenous culture and the many lessons that she learned along the way.

Some of the important cultural factors mentioned in the article include:

1. Be open to communal discussions while still protecting individual privacy issues
2. Be cognizant of needs that are not the norm in other areas of the United States
3. Help survivors become comfortable with strangers and understand the community's lifestyle
4. Learn to balance the needs of the program with the needs of the people

Other articles focus on suicide prevention in the American Indian community.

The Dialogue is a quarterly technical assistance bulletin on Disaster Behavioral Health by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

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