The Center for Health Policy Research at The Dartmouth Institute
Dartmouth Atlas
For more than 20 years, the Dartmouth Atlas Project has documented glaring variations in how medical resources are distributed and used in the United States. The project uses Medicare data to provide comprehensive information and analysis about national, regional, and local markets, as well as individual hospitals and their affiliated physicians.
These reports, used by policymakers, the media, health care analysts and others, have radically changed our understanding of the efficiency and effectiveness of our health care system. This valuable data forms the foundation for many of the ongoing efforts to improve health and health systems across America.
The Dartmouth Atlas website contains links to all the Atlas reports and papers, as well as data tools that allow visitors to create their own analyses of care patterns within hospital service areas and referral regions. For more information on the Dartmouth Atlas: www.dartmouthatlas.org
"The fact that the work [Dartmouth is] doing is so rigorous, and the reputation of those doing it beyond reproach," says Dr. George Isham, medical director of HealthPartners of Minnesota, "means that [it] brings issues to the table that we wouldn’t be talking about otherwise."