title: Reporting CAHPS and HEDIS data by race/ethnicity for Medicare beneficiaries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To produce reliable and informative health plan performance data by race/ethnicity for the Medicare beneficiary population and to consider appropriate presentation strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient experience data from the 2008-2009 Medicare Advantage (MA) and fee-for-service (FFS) CAHPS surveys and 2008-2009 HEDIS data (MA beneficiaries only).
  
  
  METHODS
  Mixed effects linear (and binomial) regression models estimated the reliability and statistical informativeness of CAHPS (HEDIS) measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven CAHPS and seven HEDIS measures were reliable and informative for four racial/ethnic subgroups-Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders-at sample sizes of 100 beneficiaries (200 for prescription drug plans). Although many plans lacked adequate sample size for reporting group-specific data, reportable plans contained a large majority of beneficiaries from each of the four racial/ethnic groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Statistically reliable and valid information on health plan performance can be reported by race/ethnicity. Many beneficiaries may have difficulty understanding such reports, however, even with careful guidance. Thus, it is recommended that health plan performance data by subgroups be reported as supplemental data and only for plans meeting sample size requirements.
authors.affiliation: RAND, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. martino@rand.org
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Weinick
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Kanouse
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Amelia M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Haviland
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hambarsoomian
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Marc N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020398:Medicare Part C / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States