Timeliness 2009 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities ReportsThe National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) is a comprehensive national overview of quality of health care in the United States. It is organized around four dimensions of quality of care: effectiveness, patient safety, timeliness, and patient centeredness. TimelinessGetting Appointments for Care Adults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted Children who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted Adults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who got care as soon as wanted Children who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who got care as soon as wanted Waiting Time Emergency department (ED) visits lasting 6 or more hours and resulting in admission to the hospital or transfer to another facility, per 1,000 ED visits Emergency department (ED) visits where patients left without being seen Hospital patients with heart attack who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 90 minutes of arrival Hospital patients with heart attack who received fibrinolytic medication within 30 minutes of arrivalGetting Appointments for CareMeasure TitleAdults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted.Measure SourceAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends (CFACT), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).National Tables13_1_1.1 Adults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006.13_1_1.2 Adults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2002.13_1_1.3 Adults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who always got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.Education.13_1_1.4 Adults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who usually got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.Education.13_1_1.5 Adults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who sometimes or never got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.Education.National Data SourceAHRQ, CFACT, MEPS.National DenominatorAdults age 18 and over who made an appointment for regular or routine health care in the last 12 months and answered the question, “In the last 12 months, how often did you get an appointment for regular or routine health care as soon as you wanted?” Nonresponses as well as “Don't know” responses were excluded.National NumeratorSubset of the denominator population in three categories according to their answer to the above question: “Always,” “Usually,” “Sometimes,” or “Never.”State Tables13_1_1.6 Adults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 6 months who always got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, Medicaid, by State, 2007 and 200813_1_1.7 Adults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who always got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, Medicare managed care, by State, 2007 and 200813_1_1.8 Adults who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who always got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, Medicare fee for service, by State, 2007 and 2008State Data SourceAHRQ, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS), National CAHPS Benchmarking Database (NCBD).State DenominatorFor Medicaid, respondents who answered "Yes" to the question, "In the last 6 months did you make any appointments with a doctor or other health care provider for regular or routine health care?"For Medicare managed care and Medicare fee for service, respondents who answered "Yes" to the question, "In the last 12 months did you make any appointments with a doctor or other health care provider for regular or routine health care?"State NumeratorFor Medicaid, subset of the denominator population who answered "Always" to the question, "In the last 6 months, not counting times you needed health care right away, how often did you get an appointment for health care as soon as you wanted?"For Medicare managed care and Medicare fee for service, subset of the denominator population who answered "Always" to the question, "In the last 12 months, not counting times you needed health care right away, how often did you get an appointment for health care as soon as you wanted?"CommentsNational tables report data from the MEPS Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ). See the MEPS entry in the Data Sources appendix for more information on the SAQ.Top of PageGetting Appointments for CareMeasure TitleChildren who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted.Measure SourceAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends (CFACT), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).National Tables13_1_2.1 Children who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006.13_1_2.2 Children who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2002.13_1_2.3 Children who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who always got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.13_1_2.4 Children who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who usually got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.13_1_2.5 Children who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 12 months who sometimes or never got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.National Data SourceAHRQ, CFACT, MEPS.National DenominatorChildren who had an appointment for regular or routine health care in the last 12 months and with a valid answer to the question, “In the last 12 months, how often did [the person] get an appointment for regular or routine health care as soon as you wanted?” Nonresponses, as well as “Don't know” responses were excluded.National NumeratorSubset of the denominator population in three categories according to their parents or guardian's answer to the above question: “Always,” “Usually,” “Sometimes,” or “Never.”State Tables13_1_2.6 Children who had an appointment for routine health care in the last 6 months who always got appointments for routine care as soon as wanted, Medicaid, by State, 2007 and 2008State Data SourceAHRQ, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS), National CAHPS Benchmarking Database (NCBD).State DenominatorChildren with Medicaid benefits who had appointments with a doctor or other health care provider for regular or routine health care in the last 6 months.State NumeratorSubset of the denominator population with their parent or guardian's answer of “Always” to the question, “In the last 6 months, not counting times you needed health care right away, how often did you get an appointment for health care as soon as you wanted?”CommentsThe national table reports data from the MEPS Child Health section. See the MEPS entry in the Data Sources appendix for more information.Top of PageGetting Appointments for CareMeasure TitleAdults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who got care as soon as wanted.Measure SourceAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends (CFACT), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).National Tables13_1_3.1 Adults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006.13_1_3.2 Adults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2002.13_1_3.3 Adults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who always got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.Education.13_1_3.4 Adults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who usually got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.Education.13_1_3.5 Adults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who sometimes or never got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.Education.National Data SourceAHRQ, CFACT, MEPS.National DenominatorAdults age 18 and over who had an illness or injury that needed care right away from a doctor's office, clinic, or emergency room in the last 12 months and also answered the question, “In the last 12 months, when you needed care right away for an illness or injury, how often did you get care as soon as you wanted?” Nonresponses and “Don't know” responses were excluded.National NumeratorSubset of the denominator population in 3 categories according to their answer to the above question: “Always,” “Usually,” “Sometimes,” or “Never.”State Tables13_1_3.6 Adults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 6 months who always got care as soon as wanted, Medicaid, by State, 2007 and 200813_1_3.7 Adults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who always got care as soon as wanted, Medicare managed care, by State, 2007 and 200813_1_3.8 Adults who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who always got care as soon as wanted, Medicare fee for service, by State, 2007 and 2008State Data SourceAHRQ, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS), National CAHPS Benchmarking Database (NCBD).State DenominatorFor Medicaid, adults who reported having an illness, injury, or condition that needed care right away in a clinic, emergency room, or doctor's office in the last 6 months.For Medicare managed care and Medicare fee for service, adults who reported having an illness, injury, or condition that needed care right away in a clinic, emergency room, or doctor's office in the last 12 monthsState NumeratorFor Medicaid, subset of the denominator who answered “Always” to the question, “In the last 6 months, when you needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition, how often did you get care as soon as you wanted?”For Medicare managed care and Medicare fee for service, subset of the denominator who answered “Always” to the question, “In the last 12 months, when you needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition, how often did you get care as soon as you wanted?”CommentsNational tables report data from the MEPS Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ). See the MEPS entry in the Data Sources appendix for more information on the SAQ.Top of PageGetting Appointments for CareMeasure TitleChildren who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who got care as soon as wanted.Measure SourceAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends (CFACT), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).National Tables13_1_4.1 Children who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006.13_1_4.2 Children who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2002.13_1_4.3 Children who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who always got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.13_1_4.4 Children who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who usually got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.13_1_4.5 Children who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 12 months who sometimes or never got care as soon as wanted, United States, 2006, by:Race.Ethnicity.Family income.National Data SourceAHRQ, CFACT, MEPS.National DenominatorChildren under age 18 who had an illness or injury that needed care right away from a doctor's office, clinic, or emergency room in the last 12 months, with a valid answer to the question, “In the last 12 months, when [the person] needed care right away for an illness or injury, how often did [person] get care as soon as you wanted?” Nonresponses and “Don't know” responses were excluded.National NumeratorSubset of the denominator population in 3 categories according to their parents or guardians' answer to the above question: “Always,” “Usually,” “Sometimes,” or “Never.”State Tables13_1_4.6 Children who needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition in the last 6 months who always got care as soon as wanted, Medicaid, by State, 2007 and 2008State Data SourceAHRQ, Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS), National CAHPS Benchmarking Database (NCBD).State DenominatorChildren with Medicaid benefits who had an illness, injury, or condition that needed care right away in a clinic, emergency room, or doctor's office in the last 6 months.State NumeratorSubset of the denominator with their parent or guardian's answer of “Always” to the question, “In the last 6 months, when you needed care right away for an illness, injury, or condition, how often did you get care as soon as you wanted?”CommentsThe national table reports data from the MEPS Child Health section. See the MEPS entry in the Data Sources appendix for more information.Top of PageWaiting TimeMeasure TitleEmergency department (ED) visits lasting 6 or more hours and resulting in admission to the hospital or transfer to another facility, per 1,000 ED visits.Measure SourceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).Tables13_2_1.1 Emergency department (ED) visits in which patient was admitted to the hospital or transferred to another facility whose ED visit was 6 hours or more, United States, 2000-2001 and 2006-2007.13_2_1.2 Emergency department (ED) visits in which patient was admitted to the hospital or transferred to another facility whose ED visit was 6 hours or more, United States, 2006-2007, by:Race.Data SourceCDC, NCHS, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS).DenominatorVisits to the emergency department (ED) resulting in admission to the hospital or ICU/CCU, or transfer to another facility.NumeratorSubset of the denominator with those who remained in the ED for 6 hours or more.CommentsThe NHAMCS ED question is “Visit Disposition,” where disposition is admit to hospital, admit to intensive care unit or critical care unit, or transfer to other facility.Top of PageWaiting TimeMeasure TitleEmergency department (ED) visits where patients left without being seen.Measure SourceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).Tables13_2_2.1 Emergency department visits where patients left without being seen, United States, 1997-1998 and 2006-2007.13_2_2.2 Emergency department visits where patients left without being seen, United States, 2006-2007, by:Race.Data SourceCDC, NCHS, National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS).DenominatorVisits to the emergency departments (EDs) and outpatient departments of noninstitutional general and short-stay hospitals, exclusive of Federal, military, and Veterans Affairs hospitals located in the 50 States and the District of Columbia.NumeratorSubset of the denominator with a visit disposition of “left before being seen” on the NHAMCS Emergency Department Patient Record Form.Top of PageWaiting TimeMeasure TitleHospital patients with heart attack who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 90 minutes of arrival.Measure SourceCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Care Quality Improvement Program Quality Indicator.National Tables13_2_3.1 Hospital patients with heart attack who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 90 minutes of arrival, United States, 2005 and 2007.National Data SourceCMS, Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program.National DenominatorDischarged hospital patients with a principal diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and documented percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or stent placement during the hospital stay.National NumeratorSubset of denominator given percutaneous coronary intervention (angioplasty or stent placement) within 90 minutes of arrival.State Tables13_2_3.2 Hospital patients with heart attack who received percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 90 minutes of arrival, by State, 2005 and 2007.13_2_3.3 Hospital patients with heart attack who were given percutaneous coronary intervention within 90 minutes of arrival, by State, 2005 and 2008.State Data SourceCMS, QIO.CMS, Hospital Compare (HC).State DenominatorSame as National.State NumeratorSame as National.CommentsEffective October 2003, CMS revised this measure. Rates may not be comparable with earlier versions of the report.Median time is time in minutes from arrival to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTCA) in patients with ST segment elevation or left bundle branch block (LBBB) on the electrocardiogram (ECG) performed closest to hospital arrival time.International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes for AMI include 410.01, 410.11, 410.21, 410.31, 410.41, 410.51, 410.61, 410.71, 410.81, and 410.91. The measure specifies exclusion of patients under age 18 and patients transferred from other acute care hospitals, including other emergency departments, and patients administered thrombolytic agents. Further information on this and other heart disease measures is available at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HospitalQualityInits/.For State HC tables, data were downloaded from http://www.medicare.gov/Download/DownloadDB.asp in late April each year. Estimates were calculated using hospital-level scores.For QIO tables, the estimate for the Total row is based on State-level estimates whereas the estimates for the demographic categories are based on patient/episode-level data.Top of PageWaiting TimeMeasure TitleHospital patients with heart attack who received fibrinolytic medication within 30 minutes of arrival.Measure SourceCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Health Care Quality Improvement Program Quality Indicator.National Tables13_2_4.1 Hospital patients with heart attack who received fibrinolytic medication within 30 minutes of arrival, United States, 2005 and 2007.National Data SourceCMS, Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program.National DenominatorDischarged hospital patients with a principal diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and documented thrombolytic therapy during the hospital stay.National NumeratorSubset of denominator with thrombolytic therapy within 30 minutes of arrival.State Tables13_2_4.2 Hospital patients with heart attack who received fibrinolytic medication within 30 minutes of arrival, by State, 2005 and 2007.13_2_4.3 Hospital patients with heart attack who were given fibrinolytic medication within 30 minutes of arrival, by State, 2005 and 2008.State Data SourceCMS, QIO.CMS, Hospital Compare (HC).State DenominatorSame as National.State NumeratorSame as National.CommentsThe 2006 and 2006 estimates are within 120 minutes of arrival.Effective October 2003, CMS revised this measure. Rates may not be comparable with earlier versions of the National Healthcare Quality Report and the National Healthcare Disparities Report.Median time is in minutes from arrival to initiation of a thrombolytic agent in patients with ST segment elevation or left bundle branch block (LBBB) on the electrocardiogram (ECG) performed closest to hospital arrival time.International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes for AMI include 410.01, 410.11, 410.21, 410.31, 410.41, 410.51, 410.61, 410.71, 410.81, and 410.91. The measure specifies exclusion of patients under age 18 and patients transferred from another acute care hospital, including another emergency department. Further information on this and other heart disease measures is available at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HospitalQualityInits/.For State HC tables, data were downloaded from http://www.medicare.gov/Download/DownloadDB.asp in late April each year. Estimates were calculated using hospital-level scores.For QIO tables, the estimate for the Total row is based on State-level estimates whereas the estimates for the demographic categories are based on patient/episode-level data. AHRQ Home | Questions? | Contact AHRQ | Site Map | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Freedom of Information Act | Disclaimers | Plain Writing Act U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | The White House | USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web PortalAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality 540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 Telephone: (301) 427-1364 Current as of March 2010 Internet Citation: Timeliness: 2009 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. March 2010. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqrdr09/measurespec/timeliness.html