Overall, no state did well in all areas of the study. In fact, New York scored above average marks in 22 categories, average in 35 categories, and below average in 25 categories. The state did not receive a mark in 24 categories due to a simple lack of data.
Overall health care quality in New York is decidedly mixed, according to the second annual report released yesterday by an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services.
The report, which judged all 50 states and the District of Columbia on a range of measures, ranked New York among the worst in effectiveness of kidney dialysis and in counseling Medicare heart attack patients to quit smoking.
But the state scored among the most effective in lessening a patient's pain and confusion, both in nursing homes and in home health care settings.
For New York, the agency evaluated 106 measures, from cancer, diabetes, heart disease and respiratory illnesses to nursing home and home health care, maternal and child health, and mental health.
Patient advocates said the document is likely more useful for policy makers at the state level than for individuals seeking the best care.
The Congress-mandated report compiles data gleaned from hospitals, health plans, nursing homes and home health agencies, among other sources.
This year's report showed an across-the-board improvement of about 3 percent over last year, said Clancy, who indicated she is encouraged by the uptick but believes there is ample room for improvement.
Multi-ethnic and heavily populated New York, for example, had one of the highest AIDS-related death rates and among the highest numbers of asthma-related hospital admissions for children, adults and seniors.
New York scored very well on its low rate of suicides, however, and on the effectiveness of nursing homes in managing the delirium of residents who underwent a major medical procedure.
The state also scored high on the effectiveness of home health care in lessening patients' pain associated with physical activity and in lessening their confusion, an effectiveness also seen among nursing home residents.