Mass. Docs Generally Provide Good Care, Study Says

A group that measures the quality of health care in Massachusetts has released its annual report on how well doctors perform — and the results are generally good.

The yearly report measures things like whether doctors overuse antibiotics and x-rays, and how well they help patients manage chronic diseases such as diabetes. The group that collects the data, Massachusetts Health Quality Partners, found that doctors in the state perform better than the national average in most categories.

But even though Massachusetts doctors do well overall, their performances ranges widely when it comes to providing certain types of treatment. Those include screening for colorectal cancer and making sure diabetics get cholesterol tests.

The report's authors say that shows the importance of having doctors follow uniform treatment standards.