COVID-Driven Telehealth Surge Triggers Changes to Quality Measures
The changes will apply to the measurement of healthcare quality starting this year.
WASHINGTON, June 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) approved a sweeping set of adjustments to 40 of its widely-used Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures – in support of health plans, clinicians and patients who rely on telehealth services in record numbers as a result of the disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The changes will apply to the measurement of healthcare quality starting this year. They align with recent telehealth guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and other federal and state regulators.
"You cannot drive quality improvement if your measures don't take into account what has quickly become the fastest-growing modality for providing healthcare services," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "The timely approval by our Board of these changes signals that we understand the important role telehealth has played in making care available amid an unprecedented national lockdown and that it will continue to be an important part of the healthcare system going forward."
The 40 HEDIS measures that have new accommodations for telehealth are:
Prevention and Screening
Weight Assessment and Counseling for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children/Adolescents
Breast Cancer Screening
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Care for Older Adults
Respiratory
Use of Spirometry Testing in the Assessment and Diagnosis of COPD
Asthma Medication Ratio
Cardiovascular Conditions
Controlling High Blood Pressure
Persistence of Beta-Blocker Treatment After a Heart Attack
Statin Therapy for Patients with Cardiovascular Disease
NEW MEASURE: Cardiac Rehabilitation
Diabetes
Comprehensive Diabetes Care
NEW MEASURE: Kidney Health Evaluation for Patients with Diabetes
Statin Therapy for Patients with Diabetes
Musculoskeletal Conditions
Disease-Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis- Scheduled for Retirement
Osteoporosis Management in Women Who Had a Fracture
NEW MEASURE: Osteoporosis Screening in Older Women
Behavioral Health
Antidepressant Medication Management
Follow-up Care for Children Prescribed ADHD Medication
Follow-up After Hospitalization for Mental Illness
Follow-up After Emergency Department Visit for Mental Illness
Diabetes Screening for People with Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder Who Are Using Antipsychotic Medication
Cardiovascular Monitoring for People with Cardiovascular Disease and Schizophrenia
Diabetes Monitoring for People with Diabetes and Schizophrenia
Adherence to Antipsychotic Medications for Individuals with Schizophrenia
Care Coordination
Transitions of Care
Follow-up After Emergency Department Visit for People with Multiple High-Risk Chronic Conditions
Access/Availability of Care
Prenatal and Postpartum Care
Use of First-Line Psychosocial Care for Children and Adolescents on Antipsychotics
Utilization
Well-Child Visits in the First 30 Months of Life
Child and Adolescent Well Care Visits
Mental Health Utilization
Risk-Adjusted Utilization
Plan All-Cause Readmissions
Hospitalization Following Discharge from a Skilled Nursing Facility
Acute Hospital Utilization
Emergency Department Utilization
Hospitalization for Potentially Preventable Complications
Measures Reported Using Electronic Clinical Data Systems
Utilization of the PHQ-9 to Monitor Depression Symptoms for Adolescents and Adults
Depression Screening and Follow-up for Adolescents and Adults
Postpartum Depression Screening and Follow-up
Prenatal Depression Screening and Follow-up
Breast Cancer Screening
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Follow-up Care for Children Prescribed ADHD Medication
Updates to these 40 measures will be reflected in HEDIS Volume 2 Technical Specifications, to be published on July 1, 2020. Telehealth revisions will be outlined in each measure specification's "Summary of Changes" section.
Changes to all NCQA programs resulting from the pandemic are summarized at https://www.ncqa.org/covid.
NCQA will continue to evolve HEDIS and other products to reflect and reinforce new technology.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Andy Reynolds 202-955-3518
[email protected]
Matt Brock 202-955-1739
[email protected]
About NCQA
NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA's Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA's website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make more-informed health care choices. NCQA can be found online at ncqa.org, on Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.
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SOURCE National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
