News release: Colorado - Denver/Boulder

September 18, 2002

For more information, call:
Steve Krizman
Kaiser Permanente
Phone: (303) 344-7932
E-mail: Steve.A.Krizman@kp.org

Kaiser Permanente among nation's top 15 in quality

Denver, CO – Report cards on the quality of health care were issued today, and Kaiser Permanente's Colorado region was at the top of the class.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance issued its annual State of Health Care Quality Report, in which Kaiser Permanente Colorado is listed among the top 15 health plans in the nation in the HEDIS^® Effectiveness of Care Measure. The NCQA compared more than 270 health plans on such things as childhood immunizations, frequency of cancer tests, control of long-term illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, and timeliness of care. The NCQA is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to measuring the quality of America's health care.

No other Colorado health plan is listed among the top 15.

Also today, the Colorado Business Group on Health issued its report on health plans in the state. Kaiser Permanente has the highest score in six of the nine quality categories tracked in that report.

"These numbers - as impressive as they are - tell only part of the story," said Michael Chase, MD, assistant medical director for quality. "What the numbers really tell us is that Kaiser Permanente doctors and providers have lowered the odds that a heart patient will get a second heart attack or need bypass surgery. They've reduced the chances that a diabetes patient will develop blindness. More of our young patients are immunized against childhood illnesses.

"Our doctors have the advantage of practicing in a coordinated system," Chase said. "They have the support of a team of health care professionals and use information systems that help guide patient care. In addition, this coordinated system enables us to measure our performance so that we can constantly strive for improvement.

"This has led to performance that leads the nation. Our care of heart attack patients is one example."

Kaiser Permanente Colorado's quality scores were among the top three health plans in the nation in the following categories:

Monitoring and control of cholesterol after a heart attack. In 2001, 95 percent of our heart patients received cholesterol blood tests and 90 percent of them had their cholesterol under control.
Eye exams for diabetes patients. In 2001, 89 percent of our diabetes patients got an eye exam, a critical step in preventing diabetic blindness.
Immunization of adolescents. In 2001, 74 percent of adolescents got their immunizations on time. Nationally, only 25 percent of adolescents are up to date.
Follow-up care after hospitalization for mental illness. In 2001, 84 percent of our patients who were hospitalized saw a psychiatrist with seven days of discharge and 94 percent within 30 days.

Kaiser Permanente was in the top 10 percent in the nation on these quality scores:

98 percent of patients received beta blocker treatment after a heart attack. This treatment reduces the risk of a second heart attack and death.
80 percent of women received a mammogram when they were due for one.
84 percent of women had a PAP smear to test for cervical cancer when they were due for one.
77 percent of young children were up to date with their immunizations.
70 percent of asthma patients were taking appropriate medications.

NCQA's Quality Compass^® is designed to provide benefits managers, health plans, consultants, the media and others with easy access to comprehensive information about health plan quality and performance.

Kaiser Permanente is a non-profit health care organization that cares for 409,000 members in the six-county Denver metro area and in Colorado Springs. In the Denver metro area, care is provided by a coordinated team of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, mental health counselors and physical therapists. In Colorado Springs, Kaiser Permanente cares for its members through an affiliated network of community-based physicians and other health care providers.

The source for data contained in this publication is Quality Compassā 2002 and is used with the permission of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Any analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such analysis, interpretation, or conclusion. Quality Compass is a registered trademark of NCQA.