Revisions Reinforce Use of Telehealth During Pandemic and After
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
