Role of Race and Ethnicity Predictive Modeling and Spatial Analysis in Addressing Health Disparities

Abstract

Health disparities are variations in quality or clinical outcomes of care, and they represent a major source of inefficiency within the U.S. health care system. Key strategies in addressing this challenge are developing data on the racial and ethnic demographics of patient populations and determining how best to allocate health plan resources to address disparities. This article examines the use of mapping tools and spatial analysis in the identification of health disparities among health insurance plan members (health plan members). The article also briefly explores the usage of indirect methodologies to determine a health plan member's race and ethnicity. In addition, case studies are examined to illustrate the role of mapping and spatial tools in the development of quality improvement interventions.