July 6, 2023
According to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA):
- Falls are the leading cause of death by injury in people 65 and older.
- Urinary incontinence is significantly underreported and underdiagnosed.
- Any amount of physical activity reduces the risk of developing certain chronic conditions and increases quality of life.
Due to these serious health concerns, the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) measures patient-reported outcomes for three HEDIS® Effectiveness of Care measures:
- Fall Risk Management
- Management of Urinary Incontinence in Older Adults
- Physical Activity in Older Adults
From August to November, randomly selected Medicare Advantage (MA) members are surveyed by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) about how providers talk about these important topics with them in the past 12 months.
Ways you can incorporate this into your practice:
- Fall risk – Ask all patients to complete a fall assessment. Regardless of history, ask if they have difficulty with balance. Discuss your recommendations for reducing fall risk.
- Bladder control – Ask all patients to complete a bladder control assessment and discuss treatment options.
- Physical activity - Ask all patients about their current exercise routine and discuss your recommendations for starting, increasing, or maintaining activity levels.
Sources:
Fall Risk Management - NCQA
Management of Urinary Incontinence in Older Adults - NCQA
Physical Activity in Older Adults - NCQA
Healthcare Effectiveness Data Information Set. HEDIS ® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).