Quality gap noted in hospitals for US territories

by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - The Archives for Internal Medicine released a new study that finds that concluded when compared with hospitals in the US states, hospitals in the US territories have significantly higher 30-day mortality rates and lower performance on every core process measure for patients discharged after acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia.

The study stated eliminating the substantial quality gap in the US territories should be a national priority.  The report noted that virtually all of the territorial hospitals performed below the US national averages.  The study by the Archives for Internal Medicine noted that Despite the national effort to address health care disparities through increased public reporting and standardizing hospital performance, hospitals in the US territories have been largely neglected.

Improving health care outcomes in the US territories should be included in any comprehensive effort to tackle national racial/ethnic and other health care disparities. The striking disparity revealed in this study demonstrates that people living in the US territories are at a notable disadvantage compared with those in the US states.

The study went on to state that importantly, these US possessions are legally restricted from full participation in the shaping of relevant US health care policy. The nation has a great responsibility to guarantee that residents on these islands have access to care that is at least of the same quality as care in the US states.