One way to measure quality in primary care is to look at the care that a clinician gives to each patient, and to compare it with a set of national standards. The standards—called clinical quality measures—tell us what high-quality health care should look like in a clinician's office. Comparing clinicians to these standards shows us how consistently they deliver care to patients.
When you search for clinician offices on this website, you can compare how well each office performed on 7 clinical quality measures for adult primary care, and 8 for pediatric primary care.
Having this information can help you make a more informed choice when choosing a clinician's office. You also can use it to improve the quality of your own health care. Clinicians also use this information to know how they can make the care they give even better.
The health topics in this resource section relate directly to the clinical quality measures this website reports on. The clinical quality measures reported on this site were developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of health care in the United States. Clinican offices, hospitals, and most other health care organizations around the country use these same measures to track the quality of care they are providing.
What is the Clinical Quality Report?
The Clinical Quality Report has information about the quality of health care given to patients in Massachusetts. This includes preventive care services (such as cancer screenings or children's well visits) and chronic disease care (such as asthma care). Healthcare Compass has results on clinical quality care for 572 clinician offices in Massachusetts. This report comes from care that was given to patients in 2024. The patients included in this report have commercial insurance. This report does not include information for patients covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
How did MHQP select clinical quality measures to report?
MHQP is using Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) quality measures that were developed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). These measures are evidence-based (researched) and are used across the United States for measuring health care quality in clinician offices. These measures are used with NCQA’s permission, and HEDIS® benchmarks* were created independently by MHQP.
HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
MQHP collected CORE, MENU, and MONITORING quality measures from the 2024 Aligned Measure Set, which was developed by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Quality Measure Alignment Taskforce.
Was my clinician's office included in this report?
To be included in this clinical quality report:
- Clinician offices must have at least 3 clinicians and 3 or more measures with enough reliable (trustworthy) data to be publicly reportable.
- This report is based on where clinicians were working as of December 31, 2024. If your clincian did not work at your current clinician's office in December 2024, they may be part of a different clinician's office in this report.
What measures are reported?
Clinical quality measures for adult primary care:
Diagnostic and Preventive Care
Cervical Cancer Screening
Why screening for cervical cancer with a Pap test is important:
- Cervical cancer is a slow-growing cancer and is usually caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). A Pap test is a screening test used to look for changes in the cells of the cervix (the lower part of the womb that opens into the vagina). Because cervical cancer takes a long time to develop, regular Pap tests may show changes in cells before they become cancer. Women should have a Pap test every three to five years, depending on age. Getting regular Pap tests can help to find cancer early, when treatment has the best chance of success.
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Why measuring colorectal cancer screening tests is important:
- Having a screening for colorectal cancer can help to find colorectal cancer early. The earlier this cancer is found, the more successful the treatment can be. Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths among adults in the United States. Most people should have a colorectal cancer screening test every ten years.
Well-Child Visits
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits (Ages 18 to 21 years)
Why measuring well child visits for young adults (in their late adolescent years) is important:
- The purpose of a well visit each year during their late adolescent years is to promote continued healthy habits and prevent lifelong problems. Late adolescence is also a time when some health problems end and new ones may start. Problems during these years can put a young adult at risk for the rest of their life.
Women's Health
Breast Cancer Screening
Why screening for breast cancer with a mammogram is important:
- Breast cancer is the second most common cancer for women in the United States. When breast cancer is found early, it has a higher chance of being treated successfully. A mammogram (an X-ray of the breast) is a screening that can find signs of cancer before you may be able to feel something like a hard lump in your breast. Women should have a mammogram every one or two years.
Chlamydia Screening
Why getting tested for chlamydia is important:
- Chlamydia is an infection that is easily spread through sexual contact. If it is left untreated, chlamydia can have serious consequences such as infertility and a greater chance of contracting HIV. Although people of any gender can have chlamydia, it is most common in women. Because chlamydia has few symptoms and most people with chlamydia do not show symptoms, it is very important to have screening test done as part of a yearly health exam.
Clinical quality measures for pediatric primary care:
Diagnostic and Preventive Care
Immunizations for Children
Why measuring your child’s immunization status is important:
- Babies and toddlers are more likely to get sick because their immune systems are still developing. Vaccines help protect them from dangerous diseases. Most vaccines work very well—preventing illness 90 to 99% of the time. Vaccinating kids doesn’t just keep them healthy—it also protects others in the community, especially people who can’t get vaccines because of health problems.
Immunizations for Adolescents
Why measuring your child’s immunization status is important:
- Adolescent immunizations are crucial because they protect teens during a period when they’re at higher risk for certain infections, and they help prevent long-term complications. Most vaccines work very well—preventing illness 90 to 99% of the time. Vaccinating kids doesn’t just keep them healthy—it also protects others in the community, especially people who can’t get vaccines because of health problems.
Well-Child Visits
Well-Child Visits (First 15 Months of Life)
Why measuring if children have well visits is important:
- Children need to have many visits to their primary care provider in the first 15 months of life. These well visits (check-ups) are to see how well a child is growing and to provide preventive care, such as screening tests and vaccines to protect against childhood diseases. These visits are also a way for parents and clinicians to start working with each other as partners for the child's health.
Well-Child Visits (Ages 15 to 30 Months)
Why measuring if your child has well visits is important:
- Toddlers need to have multiple visits to their primary care provider during ages 15 to 30 months. These well visits (check-ups) are to see how well a child is growing and to provide preventive care, such as screening tests and vaccines to protect against childhood diseases. These visits are also a way for parents and clinicians to start working with each other as partners for the child's health.
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits (Ages 3 to 11 years)
Why measuring if your child has well visits is important:
- The purpose of a well visit each year during childhood is to promote healthy habits and prevent lifelong problems. This is also a time when some health problems end and new ones may start. Problems during these years can put a child at risk for the rest of their life.
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits (Ages 12 to 17 years)
Why measuring if your child has well visits is important:
- The purpose of a well visit each year during adolescence (the teenage years) is to promote healthy habits and prevent lifelong problems. Adolescence is also a time when some health problems end and new ones may start. Problems during the teenage years can put an adolescent at risk for the rest of their life.
Child and Adolescent Well-Care Visits (Ages 18 to 21 years)
Why measuring well child visits for young adults (in their late adolescent years) is important:
- The purpose of a well visit each year during their late adolescent years is to promote continued healthy habits and prevent lifelong problems. Late adolescence is also a time when some health problems end and new ones may start. Problems during these years can put a young adult at risk for the rest of their life.
Women's Health
Chlamydia Screening
Why getting tested for chlamydia is important:
- Chlamydia is an infection that is easily spread through sexual contact. If it is left untreated, chlamydia can have serious consequences such as infertility and a greater chance of contracting HIV. Although people of any gender can have chlamydia, it is most common in women. Because chlamydia has few symptoms and most people with chlamydia do not show symptoms, it is very important to have screening test done as part of a yearly health exam.
* Massachusetts HEDIS® Measure Benchmarks Disclaimer
The Massachusetts HEDIS® Benchmarks were created independently by MHQP. The Massachusetts HEDIS® benchmarks stem from HEDIS® rates that have been audited and approved by a National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)-certified HEDIS® Compliance Auditor. HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
NCQA has granted MHQP permission to create and display the Massachusetts HEDIS® Benchmarks. The creation, display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on the Massachusetts HEDIS® Benchmarks is solely that of MHQP, and NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion.