Adjusting Quality Measures For Social Risk Factors Can Promote Equity In Health Care

Risk adjustment of quality measures using clinical risk factors is widely accepted; risk adjustment using social risk factors remains controversial. We argue here that social risk adjustment is appropriate and necessary in defined circumstances and that social risk adjustment should be the default o...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health affairs (Millwood, Va.) Va.), 2021-04, Vol.40 (4), p.637-644
Main Authors: Nerenz, David R, Austin, J Matthew, Deutscher, Daniel, Maddox, Karen E Joynt, Nuccio, Eugene J, Teigland, Christie, Weinhandl, Eric, Glance, Laurent G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accountable care organizations
Adjustment
Capitation
Fines & penalties
Health care
Health care policy
Health education
Health risks
Health services
Heart failure
Inequality
Low income groups
Medicaid
Medicare
Patients
Physicians
Quality of care
Risk acceptance
Risk adjustment
Risk analysis
Risk factors
Social interactions
Surgery
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Risk adjustment of quality measures using clinical risk factors is widely accepted; risk adjustment using social risk factors remains controversial. We argue here that social risk adjustment is appropriate and necessary in defined circumstances and that social risk adjustment should be the default option when there are valid empirical arguments for and against adjustment for a given measure. social risk adjustment is an important way to avoid exacerbating inequity in the health care system.
ISSN:0278-2715
1544-5208
DOI:10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01764