What does this information mean to me? How can I use it?
These reports offer you information about the quality of care that patients receive at IHS. This information focuses on important conditions that can be prevented or treated to reduce illness in American Indian and Alaska Native patients. These measures look at the number of patients at an IHS facility who receive these tests or services to help them achieve better health. You can compare your facility’s scores on these health care measures with regional and national IHS scores and with non-IHS organizations.

Each of these measures gives you details about the quality of care IHS gives to patients. You might want to ask your IHS health care team about ways you can get the best possible care.

Where does this data come from?
Reports were developed specifically to collect the information needed for the Transparency Report Card. Later we will add other measures to look at the quality of care we provide. IHS also regularly collects information for reporting measures for the GPRA Report Card.

Reports show a facility score and an Area score. What is a facility and what is an Area?
The facility score is for one specific IHS facility. You may choose the IHS facility where you normally receive care or you may choose any other IHS facility. That score is compared to the scores of other IHS facilities that are in the same geographic area, which is called the Area score. For example, a score from Gallup Indian Medical Center located in the Navajo Area (facility score) can be compared to scores of all other facilities within the Navajo Area (Area score). But these same scores are not compared to scores of other facilities outside of the Navajo Area. You can use the Area score to compare the health provided by the facilities in your geographic area (e.g. the Navajo Area) to care provided by facilities in other parts of the country.

How can having this information help me?
This information will help you to know how IHS is caring for patients at your facility, compared to other IHS facilities and non-IHS facilities. It may help you identify questions to ask your health care team about your own care.

These measures do not apply to every patient. We encourage you to talk with your health care provider if you have questions concerning your health care and the information in these reports. Your provider can work with you on a treatment plan that will meet your needs and help you get the best care possible.

What should I do if I have questions?
Links to additional information are provided for each measure. Reading about these measures may remind you to ask about a particular health issue. If you have questions about your health care, please talk with your health care provider.

What is the Joint Commission?
The Joint Commission is an organization that examines and accredits hospitals across the country. It checks to see that hospitals meet certain standards of health care. The Joint Commission gives each hospital it evaluates a report card. Hospitals are given scores on many items, such as: patient safety, average number of patients receiving certain kinds of treatments, and so on. Joint Commission scores are shown so that you can compare IHS scores with the scores from other hospitals.

What is HEDIS?
HEDIS is another set of quality measures used by government, private health care providers and insurance companies. HEDIS scores are given so that you can compare IHS health care to non-IHS providers. The information provided is gathered from health care providers who take care of Medicaid patients. Medicaid is a state program that pays for the health care of patients of all ages, who cannot pay for personal insurance. This may also include Medicare patients who are 65 and older.

Who do I contact for the references to statistical information cited on this site?
For information on the statistical data included in this site, click this link to view the IHS Program Statistics web page.