Disparities in the Quality of Hospital Care: Does It Matter Where You Go?
Award Amount:
$249,983
Approval Date:
November 8, 2005
Start Date:
December 1, 2005
End Date:
May 31, 2007
Johns Hopkins University
Department of Health Policy and Management
624 North Broadway, Room 441
Baltimore, Maryland 21205
Principal Investigator:
Darrell J. Gaskin
Minority and low-income patients are more likely to use "safety net" hospitals--primarily public hospitals and major teaching hospitals--than white and more affluent patients. Safety net hospital executives assert that because their staff have expertise in caring for these patients, they are able to provide them higher-quality care than other hospitals. For this project, researchers will use inpatient discharge data for 15 states to determine which hospitals provide the best care to minority and low-income patients, and which characteristics and best practices are associated with high-performing hospitals serving these populations. Findings will inform the development of policy options for improving hospital care in underserved communities.