Measurement Sets

The National Quality Forum (NQF) convened Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) has submitted recommendations to CMS through a series of reports. These reports provide guidance to CMS on three key areas: care provided to Medicare/Medicaid dual eligible patients, cancer hospitals which are exempt from Medicare prospective payment system, and hospice and palliative care. These reports address the care provided to some of the sickest and most vulnerable individuals in the country while addressing measurement gaps in these areas.

Measuring Healthcare Quality for the Dual Eligible Beneficiary Population: Final Report to HH

Performance Measurement Coordination Strategy for Hospice and Palliative Care

Performance Measurement Coordination Strategy for PPS-Exempt Cancer Hospitals

More Information on MAP Activities

The Epilepsy Quality Performance Measures are simple to implement and can easily improve epilepsy care. Most neurologists already follow many of the measures, so minor changes in practice are all that are required to meet the measures they are not following now. The measures assess performance with regard to:

• Assessing frequency of each seizure type
• Etiology evaluation
• EEG assessment
• MRI assessment
• AED side effects
• Refractory epilepsy consideration of referral for presurgical evaluation
• Epilepsy related safety issues
• Women's issues

Members are encouraged to use the measures in their practices. The epilepsy measures also will be incorporated into a NeuroPI℠ module for epilepsy, an AAN quality improvement tool that is designed to meet the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part IV PIP requirements mandated by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). This module will be released in the first quarter of 2011. Recently passed health care reform legislation contains provisions for 0.5 percent of Medicare billings in 2011 for clinicians who participate in maintenance of certification programs and also participate in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Additionally, one does not have to be an ABPN diplomate or applying for MOC to participate. This effort by CMS to incentivize participation in MOC PIP improvement programs establishes a link between certification and payment.

Given these changes, quality measures development is an increasingly important initiative for specialty societies such as the AAN. The AAN recently introduced measures for Parkinson's disease, and is working on developing measures in stroke and stroke rehabilitation, dementia, neuropathy, headache, and multiple sclerosis. Members are encouraged to be involved by suggesting measure topic nominations to the Quality Measurement and Reporting Subcommittee.

Learn More

• Read the measures. (.pdf)

• Quality Measurement and Reporting Subcommittee (.pdf)

• AAN Quality Measures Development Process (.pdf)

• AAN Epilepsy Measurement Set (.pdf)

• Read the press release

To learn more about the epilepsy measures or to get involved, contact Gina Gjorvad at ggjorvad@aan.com or (612) 928-6123.

The AAN quality measures for Parkinson's disease were developed with an emphasis on the nonmotor aspects of PD such as depression, sleep, and falls that can be overlooked but have a great impact on quality of life. Members are encouraged to use the measures in their practices.

The Parkinson's disease measures also will be incorporated into a Performance in Practice (PIP) module for Parkinson's disease, an AAN quality improvement tool that is designed to meet the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) PIP requirements mandated by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). This module will be released in the first quarter of 2011.

Recently passed health care reform legislation contains provisions for 0.5 percent of Medicare billings in 2011 for clinicians who participate in maintenance of certification programs and also participate in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Additionally, one does not have to be an ABPN diplomate or applying for MOC to participate. This effort by CMS to incentivize participation in MOC PIP improvement programs establishes a link between certification and payment.

Given these changes, quality measures development is an increasingly important initiative for specialty societies such as the AAN. The AAN is working on developing measures in epilepsy, stroke, dementia, neuropathy, headache, and multiple sclerosis. Members are encouraged to be involved by suggesting measure topic nominations to the Quality Measurement and Reporting Subcommittee.

Learn More

• Read the measures.(.pdf)

• Quality Measurement and Reporting Subcommittee (.pdf)

• AAN Quality Measures Development Process (.pdf)

• AAN Parkinson's Disease Measurement Set (.pdf)

• Read the press release.

For more information, contact Gina Gjorvad at ggjorvad@aan.com or (612) 928-6123.

Completed

• Stroke and Stroke Rehabilitation

Nominate a Topic

To nominate a topic for measure development, complete the nomination form and email it to Rebecca Swain-Eng at rswaineng@aan.com.

Questions? Call (612) 928-6121.

Resource: 2009 Topic Nomination Poster