Disparities Evident in Quality of Healthcare Analysis

High-quality healthcare is essential for improving the overall health and well-being of Connecticut (CT) residents and for ensuring optimal health outcomes. Quality care not only enhances individual patient experiences but also plays a pivotal role in improving population health by promoting healthier lifestyles, preventing diseases, managing chronic illness, and advancing health equity.

CT is among the healthier states in the nation and delivers high-quality care, and ranks seventh in the nation for prevention and treatment (e.g., adults receiving appropriate cancer screening) and for health outcomes (e.g., premature deaths from treatable or preventable causes).

“The quality of care is limited if half of the state’s residents cannot access healthcare because of cost.”

Yet, CT still has meaningful room for improvement in healthcare quality and health outcomes.

A close look at CT quality data reveals deep disparities in healthcare quality and outcomes by race and ethnicity, including for the health conditions addressed by OHS’ Quality Benchmark measures. For example:

1. Compared to their White peers, Black children and teens are nearly 5.5 times more likely to go to the emergency department because of asthma, a chronic condition that can be managed through medication and monitoring, while Hispanic children and teens are 4.5 times as likely (see Figure 1).

2. Black residents are nearly four times as likely as White residents to have a diabetes-related lower-extremity amputation (a preventable complication) and among Hispanic residents, the rate is nearly three times higher than among White residents (see Figure 2).

3. Black residents have higher heart disease mortality rates (454 per 100,000 residents) than White residents (352 per 100,000 residents), an outcome that can be prevented through blood pressure control (see Figure 3).

In addition to disparities in healthcare quality and outcomes, access to quality healthcare services due to cost is also a critical concern.

In a 2022 statewide survey of more than 1,300 CT adults, nearly half (46%) of all respondents reported delaying or going without healthcare due to cost during the prior 12 months. The quality of care is limited if half of the state’s residents cannot access healthcare because of cost.

This is an excerpt of the introduction to a report by the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy, released in May 2024, which includes the results of the analysis of 2022 quality performance data collected under the state’s Healthcare Benchmarks Initiative.  The entire 30-page report can be seen here.