Table 12_4_7-1

2010 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports

The National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR) is a comprehensive national overview of quality of health care in the United States. It is organized around four dimensions of quality of care: effectiveness, patient safety, timeliness, and patient centeredness.

Table 12_4_7.1
Visits to physician offices, hospital outpatient departments, and hospital emergency departments for adverse effects of medical care per 1,000 population,^a United States, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008
		2007-2008				2006-2007
Population group		Sample size	Number of visits (in thousands)	Rate	SE	Sample size	Number of visits (in thousands)	Rate	SE
Total		2,721	24,787	41.7	2.4	2,637	20,451	34.6	2.3
Age	0-17	269	2,455	16.6	2.4	319	2,035	13.8	1.9
	18-44	796	6,007	27.3	2.3	763	5,048	22.9	2.3
	45-64	917	8,595	56.0	4.9	859	6,621	44.0	4.1
	65 and over	739	7,731	105.2	9.9	696	6,747	93.9	9.8
Gender	Male	1,144	9,548	32.8	2.5	1,065	7,445	25.8	2.2
Gender	Female	1,577	15,239	50.2	3.3	1,572	13,006	43.1	3.2
Race ^b	White	2,159	20,497	43.0	3.0	2,076	17,543	37.0	4.0
	Black	437	3,165	42.2	8.0	442	2,212	29.8	3.7
	Asian only	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
	NHOPI	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
	AI/AN	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
	Multiple races	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU	DSU
Location of patient residence	MSA	2,416	22,024	44.1	3.0	2,371	17,808	36.1	2.8
Location of patient residence	Non-MSA	305	2,763	28.8	4.0	266	2,643	27.4	4.6

^a Rates were computed using 2000-based postcensal estimates of the civilian noninstitutionalized population as of July 1 of each data year. Adverse effects of medical care were identified as office-based physician and hospital outpatient department visits for which a checkbox indicated that an adverse medical/surgical or medicinal drug event had occurred. For emergency visits, adverse effects were identified by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes of 995.0, 995.2, 995.4, or 996-999, or by a verbatim reason for visit or cause of injury indicating adverse medical, surgical, or drug effects.

^b A proportion of race data were missing in each year. Race data were missing from 30.2% of the 2007-2008 adverse effect visit data. Missing data were imputed, and standard errors were inflated consistent with the guidance in "2007 NAMCS Microdata File Documentation," ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/NAMCS/doc07.pdf.� These data should be interpreted with caution.

DSU - Data do not meet the criteria for statistical reliability, data quality, or confidentiality.

Key: AI/AN: American Indian or Alaska Native; NHOPI: Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; MSA: metropolitan statistical area; SE: standard error.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.

Page last reviewed October 2014

Internet Citation: Table 12_4_7-1: 2010 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. October 2014. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://archive.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhqrdr10/12_patientsafety/T12_4_7-1.html