According to a landmark study, published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, on average, doctors provide “appropriate healthcare” 50% of the time — a deficiency that threatens the health of the American public.

Researchers claim the study is the largest and most comprehensive examination of the quality of healthcare in the United States.

7,528 adults from twelve U.S. metropolitan areas, participated in telephone interviews about their health history and granted access to their medical records.

Researchers analyzed medical records for 30 common conditions as well as preventative care and based their evaluations on criteria established by national guidelines and medical literature — such as changes in medications among patients found to have high blood pressure, or elderly patients getting flu shots or being screened for cancer.

According to the patients’ medical charts, doctors only provided 55% of appropriate care, which according to some, is representative of poor-quality care.

SOURCE: The New York Times, June 18, 2003.