MHQP’s Statewide Patient Experience Survey Reveals Widening Racial Disparities in Key Primary Care Areas

(February 2026)

The results of MHQP’s 2025 statewide Patient Experience Survey reveal widening racial disparities among commercially insured patients in two areas central to high quality primary care — Behavioral Health Screening and Self-Management Support. These domains capture whether a patient reports that someone in their provider’s office screened them for depression and anxiety or helped them set goals and address barriers to managing their health.

Behavioral Health Screening and Self-Management Support rank among the lowest-scoring areas in patient experience across the state. It was encouraging, therefore, to see the statewide scores increase for a third year in a row in both areas in 2025.

However, these overall scores mask concerning racial disparities in both domains. While scores have steadily increased for White patients in both areas, the disparity gap widened in 2025 for Black and Asian patients, offsetting the progress made last year to reduce these disparities.

Note: bolded figures are statistically significant vs. White respondents.

“Comprehensive primary care, which includes behavioral health screenings and support for self-management, is essential for building trust in the patient-clinician relationship,” said Molly Totman, VP of Quality & Engagement at MHQP. “It’s alarming that while scores are improving for White patients, disparities are widening for Black and Asian patients. We must ensure that all populations receive consistent care, as the absence of these vital services can have lasting consequences – particularly for those already facing health inequities.”

MHQP will continue to monitor and report on disparities in patient experiences of care statewide to guide targeted quality improvement and accountability efforts through our Measured Equity initiative.

About MHQP’s Statewide Patient Experience Survey:

First conducted in 2005, MHQP’s statewide survey, which is made possible through a collaborative initiative between MHQP, health plans and provider organizations, is a scientifically rigorous assessment of patients’ experiences with primary care that establishes accountability and reliable comparisons of clinician performance for Massachusetts. Responses are aggregated to form “composite scores” across thematic areas for each respondent, which are then combined to create overall statewide scores. In 2025, results were collected from patients of 4,037 primary care clinicians at 583 practices across the state. The complete results can be viewed on MHQP’s consumer-facing website, Healthcare Compass MA.