Research confirms geographical differences in care

Research from the Dartmouth Atlas group and others is finding that geography plays an even larger role in health care quality than previously realized (Source: “Where you live determines your quality of care,” MSNBC, July 1, 2008).

For example, Dartmouth researchers have found that Elyria, Ohio, has the highest rate of angioplasty in the nation. In 2003, the city had 42 procedures per 1,000 Medicare enrollees, nearly quadruple the national average of 11.3 per 1,000.

Researchers theorize that the geographic differences in care are the result of physician groups or hospitals in a region becoming overly reliant on a single procedure or approach when faced with uncertainty on how to treat patients.