Here are summaries of the new quality measures.
Melanoma. The first new NQF-endorsed standard for melanoma focuses on coordination of care and is intended to measure the clinician managing the melanoma, regardless of specialty, and call for a treatment plan documented within one month of the patient visit, according to the release. This standard aligns with the National Priorities Partnership’s priority of improving care coordination.
The second new NQF-endorsed standard for melanoma aligns with the National Priority of reducing overuse, targeting appropriate use of diagnostic imaging studies and determines the percentage of patients with stage 0 or IA melanoma, without signs or symptoms, who did not have diagnostic imagining studies ordered, according to the release.
Eye care. The new NQF-endorsed standards for cataracts focus on complications and visual acuity following cataract surgery, according to the release. The first standard measures the percentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma whose glaucoma treatment has not failed or if the most recent IOP was not reduced by at least 15 percent from the pre-intervention level a plan of care was documented within 12 months.
The second standard measures the percentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of uncomplicated cataract who had cataract surgery with an occurrence of one of a list of complications.
The third standard measures the percentage of patients aged 50 years and older with a diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration or their caregivers who were counseled within 12 months on the benefits and/or risks of the AREDS formulation for preventing progression of AMD and provides a definition of counseling.
The fourth standard measures the percentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of uncomplicated cataract who had cataract surgery and no significant ocular conditions impacting the visual outcome of surgery and had best-corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better achieved within 90 days following the cataract surgery, according to the release.
Read the release about the new NQF standards for eye care and melanoma.
