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Example of Decreased Variation
Heart attack patients given smoking cessation counseling while hospitalized.
Image: Two maps of the United States. States are labeled for percentage of patients given smoking cessation counseling while hospitalized. There are four types of States:
1 = 68.4-55.7%, 2 = 55.6-50.7%, 3 = 50.5-45.9%, 4 = 44.8-20.8%
The first map shows percentage of patients in each State given counseling in 2002:
- (68.4-55.7%) includes the following States: Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Delaware and Maine.
- (55.6-50.7%) includes the following States: Washington, South Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Rhode Island, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
- (50.5-45.9%) includes the following States: Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Texas, North Dakota, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Vermont, and Connecticut.
- (44.8-20.8%) includes the following States: Hawaii, California, Nevada, Arizona, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Maryland, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
The second map shows percentage of patients in each State given counseling in 2005.
All 50 States and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico had a percentage of 55.7% or higher.
Source: CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services], Medicare Quality Improvement Organization Program
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