Student Name
Capella University
NHS-FPX 6004 Health Care Law and Policy
Prof. Name
Date
Dashboard Benchmark Evaluation
This report evaluates the performance of dashboard metrics at Mercy Medical Center (MMC) by comparing them against national and state benchmarks. National and state laws and healthcare policies establish specific criteria that allow healthcare organizations to assess and improve performance. Benchmarking provides insights into the quality of care, patient safety, and professional performance in clinical settings. In this report, MMC’s diabetes care dashboard metrics are analyzed relative to the benchmarks provided by the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (NHQDR), highlighting areas that require improvement.
Comparison and Contrast of Dashboard Metrics with NHQDR Benchmarks
Mercy Medical Center (MMC), located in Shakopee City, has earned recognition for high-quality patient care, including awards for surgical safety and patient experience. Shakopee City has a population of 36,192, composed of 18,235 females and 17,957 males, with the largest age group being 21–44 years old (14,732 individuals). MMC’s Public Health Dashboard tracks diabetes-related metrics, including eye exams, foot exams, and HgbA1c testing, for patients from Q1 2019 to Q4 2020. The dashboard also captures demographic information such as age, race, and gender for both new and returning patients. In Q4 2020, MMC admitted 563 patients.
To evaluate diabetes care quality, MMC’s metrics are compared with national benchmarks established by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The benchmarks are as follows: eye exams 75.2%, foot exams 84%, and HbA1c testing 79.5% (AHRQ, n.d.).
| Dashboard Metric | MMC Performance (Q4 2020) | NHQDR Benchmark | Performance Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eye Exams | 64.2% | 75.2% | -11% |
| Foot Exams | 73% | 84% | -11% |
| HbA1c Testing | 68.5% | 79.5% | -11% |
The comparison indicates that MMC’s performance fell short of national benchmarks by approximately 11% across all metrics. Potential reasons for underperformance include uncertainty about data source credibility, limited transparency in data collection methods, and insufficient understanding of factors influencing these gaps. Addressing these issues is essential for improving patient outcomes and overall care quality.
Consequences Not Meeting Prescribed Benchmarks
Failing to meet national benchmarks for diabetes care can have significant clinical, financial, and operational consequences. For HbA1c testing, inadequate compliance impairs glycemic control, increasing the risk of diabetes-related complications such as cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, kidney damage, and retinopathy (Boye et al., 2022). Poor adherence to eye and foot exams can compromise patient safety, diminish patient trust, and reduce satisfaction with care services.
| Consequence Area | Impact on Patients | Impact on Healthcare Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical | Uncontrolled glycemic levels, increased diabetes complications | Higher readmission rates, increased chronic care needs |
| Operational | Staff overload, burnout, higher turnover | Decreased efficiency, reputational damage |
| Financial | Increased cost of care for preventable complications | Loss of revenue, potential sanctions or accreditation issues |
| Patient Trust | Reduced confidence in care | Lower engagement and compliance with care plans |
Healthcare organizations must ensure adequate resources—including trained staff, clear protocols, and advanced technology—to meet these benchmarks effectively (Kontoangelos et al., 2022).
The Underperformance of the Benchmark
Among diabetes care metrics, HbA1c testing is crucial, as it reflects patients’ long-term glycemic levels and guides the diagnosis and management of diabetes. Poor adherence to this benchmark can lead to severe complications, including neuropathy, kidney failure, retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, and lower extremity amputations (Déruaz-Luyet et al., 2020).
Globally, diabetes caused 1.5 million deaths in 2023, with nearly half of these deaths occurring before age 70 (World Health Organization, 2023). Evidence shows that strict adherence to HbA1c benchmarks can reduce retinopathy by 67%, diabetic nephropathy by 54%, cardiovascular disease by 35%, and peripheral neuropathy by 60% (Kaiafa et al., 2020).
Failing to meet this benchmark results in delayed diagnoses, poor glycemic control, and suboptimal patient outcomes. Moreover, organizational impacts include increased hospital readmissions, financial strain, and staff burnout. Prioritizing improvement in HbA1c testing is critical to enhance patient outcomes, reduce diabetes complications, and strengthen healthcare system efficiency.
Ethical and Sustainable Actions for the Underperformance of Benchmark
Ethical Principles
Improving HbA1c benchmark performance requires healthcare professionals at MMC—including physicians, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists—to adopt ethical practices guided by autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence.
- Autonomy & Beneficence: Professionals should educate patients on the importance of HbA1c testing and facilitate informed decisions regarding diabetes management.
- Justice: Care must be equitable, ensuring access across all demographics, regardless of socioeconomic or racial differences.
- Non-Maleficence: Efforts must minimize patient harm while achieving optimal glycemic control, reducing hypoglycemia risk.
- Patient Education: Explaining long-term benefits of adherence to benchmarks promotes compliance and self-management (Rusdiana et al., 2020).
Sustainable Actions
Sustainable approaches include:
- Collaborating with policymakers to ensure equitable access to diabetes care, from early diagnosis to long-term management.
- Adopting a patient-centered, holistic approach to reduce readmissions and chronic complications.
- Implementing early HbA1c testing to prevent complications and promote population health (Boye et al., 2022).
By integrating ethical principles with sustainable interventions, healthcare teams can increase patient engagement, improve long-term outcomes, and maintain organizational efficiency and reputation.
Conclusion
Mercy Medical Center currently underperforms on critical national benchmarks for diabetes care, including eye exams, foot exams, and HbA1c testing. The failure to meet these standards has implications for patient safety, health outcomes, and organizational efficiency. Ethical and sustainable strategies targeting both healthcare professionals and patients are essential to improve HbA1c performance, reduce diabetes-related complications, and promote equitable, patient-centered care.
References
AHRQ. (n.d.). NHQDR data tools – National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports (NHQDR). https://datatools.ahrq.gov/nhqdr/
Boye, K. S., Thieu, V. T., Lage, M. J., Miller, H., & Paczkowski, R. (2022). The association between sustained HbA1c control and long-term complications among individuals with type 2 diabetes: A retrospective study. Advances in Therapy, 39(5), 2208–2221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-022-02106-4
Déruaz‐Luyet, A., Raabe, C., Garry, E. M., Brodovicz, K. G., & Lavery, L. A. (2020). Incidence of lower extremity amputations among patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in the United States from 2010 to 2014. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.14012
Kaiafa, G., Veneti, S., Polychronopoulos, G., Pilalas, D., Daios, S., Kanellos, I., … Savopoulos, C. (2020). Is HbA1c an ideal biomarker of well-controlled diabetes? Postgraduate Medical Journal, 97(1148). https://doi.org/10.1136/postgradmedj-2020-138756
NHS FPX 6004 Assessment 1 Dashboard Metrics Evaluation
Kontoangelos, K., Raptis, A., Lambadiari, V., Economou, M., Tsiori, S., Katsi, V., … Papageorgiou, C. (2022). Burnout related to diabetes mellitus: A critical analysis. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.2174/17450179-v18-e2209010
Rusdiana, R., Savira, M., Widjaja, S. S., & Ardinata, D. (2020). The effect of health education on control glycemic at type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences, 8(E), 133–137. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2020.3371
World Health Organization. (2023, April 5). Diabetes. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes