One way to measure quality in primary care is to look at the care that a doctor gives to each patient, and to compare it with a set of national standards. The standards—called clinical quality measures—tell us what high-quality health care should look like in a doctors' office. Comparing doctors to these standards shows us how consistently they deliver care to patients.
When you search for doctors' offices on this website, you can compare how well each office performed on 7 clinical quality measures for adult primary care, and 7 for pediatric primary care.
Having this information can help you make a more informed choice when choosing a doctor's office. You also can use it to improve the quality of your own health care. Doctors also use this information to know how they can make the care they give even better.
The health topics in this resource section relate directly to the clinical quality measures this website reports on. The clinical quality measures reported on this site were developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care in the United States. Doctors’ offices, hospitals, and most other health care organizations around the country use these same measures to track the quality of care they are providing.
What is the Clinical Quality Report?
The Clinical Quality Report has information about the quality of health care given to patients in Massachusetts. This includes preventive care services (such as cancer screenings or children's well visits) and chronic disease care (such as asthma care). Healthcare Compass has results on clinical quality care for 540 doctors' offices in Massachusetts. This report comes from care that was given to patients in 2022. The patients included in this report have commercial insurance. This report does not include information for patients covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
How did MHQP select clinical quality measures to report?
MHQP is using Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) quality measures that were developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). These measures are evidence-based (researched) and are used across the United States for measuring health care quality in doctors' offices. These measures are used with NCQA’s permission, and HEDIS® benchmarks* were created independently by MHQP.
HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
MQHP collected CORE, MENU, and MONITORING quality measures from the 2023 Aligned Measure Set, which was developed by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Quality Measure Alignment Taskforce.
Was my doctors' office included in this report?
To be included in thie clinical quality report:
- Doctors' offices must have at least 3 doctors and 3 or more measures with enough reliable (trustworthy) data to be publicly reportable.
- This report is based on where doctors were working as of December 31, 2022. If your doctor did not work at your current doctors' office in December 2022, they may be part of a different doctors’ office in this report.
What measures are reported?
Clinical quality measures for adult primary care:
Asthma Care
Medicine Use for People with Asthma (Ages 5 to 64)
Why measuring asthma medication use is important:
- Doctors often prescribe two types of medicine for patients with asthma. One is a long-term control medicine (also known as preventive medicine). It is taken every day to help patients manage symptoms and prevent asthma attacks. The other is a quick-relief medicine. It is taken during asthma attacks when symptoms are worse.
- Taken as prescribed, long-term control medicine can help prevent or reduce the number of asthma attacks a patient has. This means that a person with asthma might not need quick-relief medicine as often and will be less likely to need to go to the hospital to treat an asthma attack.
Diagnostic and Preventive Care
Cervical Cancer Screening (Ages 21 to 64)
Why screening for cervical cancer with a Pap test is important:
- Cervical cancer is a slow-growing cancer and is usually caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). A Pap test is a screening test used to look for changes in the cells of the cervix (the lower part of the womb that opens into the vagina). Because cervical cancer takes a long time to develop, regular Pap tests may show changes in cells before they become cancer. Women should have a Pap test every three to five years, depending on age. Getting regular Pap tests can help to find cancer early, when treatment has the best chance of success.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests (Ages 50 to 75)
Why measuring colorectal cancer screening tests is important:
- Having a screening for colorectal cancer can help to find colorectal cancer early. The earlier this cancer is found, the more successful the treatment can be. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among adults in the United States. Most people should have a colorectal cancer screening test every ten years.
Using Imaging Tests for Lower Back Pain Only When Appropriate
Why measuring use of imaging tests for lower back pain is important:
- Having an imaging test, such as an X-ray, MRI, or CT scan, may not be needed when you have lower back pain. Most people with lower back pain feel better in about a month, even if they do not have an imaging test. Getting an imaging test for their back pain does not make people get better faster. In fact, getting imaging tests when you do not need them exposes you to unnecessary radiation. Over time, too much exposure to radiation can be harmful.
Well-Child Visits
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits (Ages 18 to 21 years)
Why measuring well child visits for young adults (in their late adolescent years) is important:
- The purpose of a well visit each year during their late adolescent years is to promote continued healthy habits and prevent lifelong problems. Late adolescence is also a time when some health problems end and new ones may start. Problems during these years can put a young adult at risk for the rest of their life.
Women's Health
Breast Cancer Screening (Ages 50 to 74)
Why screening for breast cancer with a mammogram is important:
- Breast cancer is the second most common cancer for women in the United States. When breast cancer is found early, it has a higher chance of being treated successfully. A mammogram (an X-ray of the breast) is a screening that can find signs of cancer before you may be able to feel something like a hard lump in your breast. Women should have a mammogram every one or two years.
Chlamydia Screening (Ages 16 to 20)
Why getting tested for chlamydia is important:
- Chlamydia is an infection that is easily spread through sexual contact. If it is left untreated, chlamydia can have serious consequences such as infertility and a greater chance of contracting HIV. Although people of any gender can have chlamydia, it is most common in women. Because chlamydia has few symptoms and most people with chlamydia do not show symptoms, it is very important to have screening test done as part of a yearly health exam.
Clinical quality measures for pediatric primary care:
Asthma Care
Medicine Use for People with Asthma (Ages 5 to 64)
Why measuring asthma medication use is important:
- Doctors often prescribe two types of medicine for patients with asthma. One is a long-term control medicine (also known as preventive medicine). It is taken every day to help patients manage symptoms and prevent asthma attacks. The other is a quick-relief medicine. It is taken during asthma attacks when symptoms are worse.
- Taken as prescribed, long-term control medicine can help prevent or reduce the number of asthma attacks a patient has. This means that a person with asthma might not need quick-relief medicine as often and will be less likely to need to go to the hospital to treat an asthma attack.
Well-Child Visits
Well-Child Visits (First 15 Months of Life)
Why measuring if children have well visits is important:
- Children need to have many visits to their doctor in the first 15 months of life. These well visits (check-ups) are to see how well a child is growing and to provide preventive care, such as screening tests and vaccines to protect against childhood diseases. These visits are also a way for parents and doctors to start working with each other as partners for the child's health.
Well-Child Visits (Ages 15 to 30 Months)
Why measuring if your child has well visits is important:
- Toddlers need to have multiple visits to their doctor during ages 15 to 30 months. These well visits (check-ups) are to see how well a child is growing and to provide preventive care, such as screening tests and vaccines to protect against childhood diseases. These visits are also a way for parents and doctors to start working with each other as partners for the child's health.
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits (Ages 3 to 11 years)
Why measuring if your child has well visits is important:
- The purpose of a well visit each year during childhood is to promote healthy habits and prevent lifelong problems. This is also a time when some health problems end and new ones may start. Problems during these years can put a child at risk for the rest of their life.
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits (Ages 12 to 17 years)
Why measuring if your child has well visits is important:
- The purpose of a well visit each year during adolescence (the teenage years) is to promote healthy habits and prevent lifelong problems. Adolescence is also a time when some health problems end and new ones may start. Problems during the teenage years can put an adolescent at risk for the rest of their life.
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits (Ages 18 to 21 years)
Why measuring well child visits for young adults (in their late adolescent years) is important:
- The purpose of a well visit each year during their late adolescent years is to promote continued healthy habits and prevent lifelong problems. Late adolescence is also a time when some health problems end and new ones may start. Problems during these years can put a young adult at risk for the rest of their life.
Women's Health
Chlamydia Screening (Ages 16 to 20)
Why getting tested for chlamydia is important:
- Chlamydia is an infection that is easily spread through sexual contact. If it is left untreated, chlamydia can have serious consequences such as infertility and a greater chance of contracting HIV. Although people of any gender can have chlamydia, it is most common in women. Because chlamydia has few symptoms and most people with chlamydia do not show symptoms, it is very important to have screening test done as part of a yearly health exam.
* Massachusetts HEDIS® Measure Benchmarks Disclaimer
The Massachusetts HEDIS® Benchmarks were created independently by MHQP. The Massachusetts HEDIS® benchmarks stem from HEDIS® rates that have been audited and approved by a National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)-certified HEDIS® Compliance Auditor. HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
NCQA has granted MHQP permission to create and display the Massachusetts HEDIS® Benchmarks. The creation, display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on the Massachusetts HEDIS® Benchmarks is solely that of MHQP, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion.