Final answer:
HEDIS is a set of measures used to assess performance in managed care with a focus on quality of service and care. It contributes to health education, literacy, and aims at reducing health disparities by promoting informed healthcare decisions and including diversified data collection modalities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) is a widely used set of performance measures in the managed care industry, developed and maintained by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). HEDIS measures performance on important dimensions of care and service. High HEDIS scores indicate that a health plan is better managing the quality of care that members receive.
Improving healthcare quality and reducing disparities in healthcare are essential objectives. Policies like HEDIS focus on improved health education and health literacy, enabling individuals to make informed decisions that can lead to better health outcomes. Implementing culturally specific research data collection tools is important to increase the diversity and inclusion in research, especially for underrepresented groups such as African Americans, which in turn helps reduce health inequities.
Engagement with authoritative sources like the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and initiatives that advocate for equity in healthcare are critical for making progress in this area.