title: Reducing disparities in lipid testing for African-Americans with diabetes: interim report.
abstract: Health care disparities exist throughout the United States. MetaStar, the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for Wisconsin, has developed a project designed to define, study, and reduce an identifiable health care disparity in Wisconsin. A disparity of 17% exists between the rate that African-American Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes and non-African-American Medicare beneficiaries receive lipid panel tests in Wisconsin. This article reviews the various methods that MetaStar has used to learn about this disparity, the African-American community, and the providers who serve this population. In addition, interventions developed from the information gathered through the learning activities are briefly described.
authors.affiliation: MetaStar, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Michalowski
authors.forename: Jay A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: Joseph N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bluestein
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood*; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D006278:Medicare / Q000592:standards*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011366:Professional Review Organizations; D016730:Program Development; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014922:Wisconsin
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids