Race, region, and the quest for quality in cardiovascular care

Concerns about racial and ethnic disparities have become a central focus of efforts to improve the quality of health care in the United States. Dozens of studies have documented the pervasive and persistent nature of these disparities in the care of cardiovascular disease and other conditions. Leading professional organizations, including the American College of Physicians and the American College of Cardiology, have recently taken steps to publicize and address these concern. With the publication of the first National Healthcare Disparities Report in 2003, the federal government has developed a comprehensive tool for monitoring racial and ethnic disparities. The inaugural release of this tool, however, has unmasked the politically charged nature of efforts to monitor racial and ethnic disparities in care, assess the mechanisms by which they arise, and evaluate potential solutions. (December 2004)