HEDIS report shows progress for MIChild population

A recent Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set report highlighted progress in patient care.

Our 2012 HEDIS report on the MIChild population showed that:

• Seventy-six percent of the children received no antibiotic treatment for upper respiratory infections — a decrease of 1 percent from the prior year.
• Eighty-four percent of children received two or more A1c tests in 2011 — an increase of 17 percent from the previous year.

As you may know, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been working to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics, which contribute to the growth of new drug-resistant germs and increases health risks for patients.

The CDC also has been working to stress the importance of ordering the A1c test for diabetic patients every three months if their test results are consistently below target and two times a year if results are within an acceptable range. The A1c test serves as a gauge to assess how well a patient’s diabetes has been controlled over time.

We appreciate your continued efforts to provide the quality care that helps keep BCBSM members healthy.