Volume 10 — October 31, 2013
GIS SNAPSHOTS
Tracking Clinic Performance to Improve Vascular Care: Minnesota Department of Health
Age-adjusted annual heart disease death rates per 100,000 among all people for the aggregated years 2008-2010 are mapped by county. Rates ranged from 91 to 328 per 100,000. Counties with the highest rates are primarily in northern and western Minnesota. Counties with the lowest rates are primarily in or close to the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
The measure of clinic performance on optimal vascular care indicates the percentage of vascular patients aged 18-75 years in 2010 that met all 4 of the following goals: 1) blood pressure control (ie, most recent blood pressure in the last 12 months was <130/80 mm Hg); 2) cholesterol control (ie, most recent low-density lipoprotein cholesterol <100 mg/dL); 3) daily aspirin use (or a documented contraindication); and 4) documented tobacco-free status. Clinics performing below the state average on the optimal vascular care measure are concentrated in the inner Twin Cities and in counties with the highest heart disease mortality rates.
Map. This map shows the location of physician clinics in Minnesota and their reported performance for optimal vascular care in 2010. The map also illustrates which counties experience the highest annual rates of heart disease deaths. Mapping these data together reveals that most (63%) clinics performing below the state average, excluding the Twin Cities metropolitan area, are in counties with the highest heart disease death rates.
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