There is an old expression - "Figures don't lie…liars do figure". We all rely on data for various purposes, and the health care industry is no exception in its use of data to explain, defend, describe, or refute various measures. In fact, there is a relatively quiet movement underway to establish health care standards to better enable providers to utilize a standardized, "best practices" method of delivering care. If you want to understand this movement better, google - "patient centered outcomes research institute" or PCORI, and check it out. (By the way, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires health insurers and self funded plans to fund the PCORI at a rate of $2 per insured member per year in 2014.)
The absolute "king" of data mining and reporting is, arguably, Gallup Inc. Back in 2008, Gallup launched its Healthways Well Being Index initiative, and conducts 500 phone calls each day to households throughout the U.S. (The initiative also has a global component to it, which involves roughly 140 countries.) The goal of Healthways Well-Being is to quantify our state of well being, and relies on the following six (6) criteria to arrive at their index:
- Physical and emotional health
- Healthy behaviors
- Work environment
- Social and community factors
- Financial security
- Access to necessities (e.g., food, shelter, health care)
The 2013 survey relied on 178,000 interviews conducted nationwide, providing a sample representing an estimated 95% of all U.S. households. As a Nebraska resident, I was both proud and pleased to see our fine state ranked #3 for 2013, a rise from #7 in 2012. Here are the rankings, and changes, for 2012 and 2013...
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