Report: Health care quality continues to improve

The nation has made clear progress in improving the health care delivery system to achieve the three aims of better care, smarter spending and healthier people, according to the 2014 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, released Friday by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. But there is still work to do, specifically to address disparities in care, the report adds. Among other improvements, the rate of uninsured working-age adults decreased from 22.3% in 2010 to 20.4% in 2013 and 15.6% in the first half of 2014, the report states. Declines in the first half of 2014 were larger among blacks and Hispanics than whites, but racial differences in rates remained. The report also found an increase in the percentage of people who said they have a usual place to go for medical care. Quality improved for most National Quality Strategy priorities, including a 17% reduction in hospital-acquired conditions, as reported by AHRQ in December. In addition, certain racial and ethnic disparities were eliminated, the agency said. For example, black children age 19-35 months received one or more doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and Native American children received hepatitis B vaccines at rates similar to other children, and Hispanic adults with obesity received nutrition counseling at rates similar to other adults.