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Anesthesiology MIPS Quality Measures and Improvement Activities – 2021

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How to Select MIPS Quality Measures

Step 1 : Select At Least 1 Outcome Measure

For the MIPS Quality Performance Category, you must report at least one outcome measure. If no outcome measures are applicable to your patient population, then you must select at least one high-priority measure (see Step 2). The outcome measures you report count towards the six measure requirement for the Quality Performance Category. Reporting additional outcome measures beyond the required one will award two (2) bonus points to your Quality Performance Category Score.

Step 2 : Select Applicable High-Priority Measures

If you were able to select an outcome measure in Step 1, this step is optional. Non-outcome high-priority measures are worth one (1) bonus point for the Quality Performance Category. This makes it a smart idea to include as many outcome and/or high-priority measures as possible in your six Quality Performance Category Measures.

Step 3 : Make Sure You Have 6 Measures Selected

If you have not yet selected six measures and are aiming for a positive MIPS Payment Adjustment, select from the other recommended measures. If you report over six measures, CMS will calculate your MIPS Quality Performance Score using your top performing quality measures.


Recommended Quality Measures

Quality IdMeasure NameHigh PriorityMeasure TypeMeasure Descriptionhf:tax:specialty_measure_setshf:tax:collection_types
044Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG): Preoperative Beta-Blocker in Patients with Isolated CABG SurgerynoProcessPercentage of isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgeries for patients aged 18 years and older who received a beta-blocker within 24 hours prior to surgical incisionDetails
047Advance Care PlanyesProcessPercentage of patients aged 65 years and older who have an advance care plan or surrogate decision maker documented in the medical record or documentation in the medical record that an advance care plan was discussed but the patient did not wish or was not able to name a surrogate decision maker or provide an advance care planDetails
076Prevention of Central Venous Catheter (CVC) - Related Bloodstream InfectionsyesProcessPercentage of patients, regardless of age, who undergo central venous catheter (CVC) insertion for whom CVC was inserted with all elements of maximal sterile barrier technique, hand hygiene, skin preparation and, if ultrasound is used, sterile ultrasound techniques followedDetails
128Preventive Care and Screening: Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up PlannoProcessPercentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a BMI documented during the current encounter or during the previous twelve months AND with a BMI outside of normal parameters, a follow-up plan is documented during the encounter or during the previous twelve months of the current encounter

Normal Parameters: Age 18 years and older BMI => 18.5 and < 25 kg/m2
Details
130Documentation of Current Medications in the Medical RecordyesProcessPercentage of visits for patients aged 18 years and older for which the eligible professional or eligible clinician attests to documenting a list of current medications using all immediate resources available on the date of the encounter. This list must include ALL known prescriptions, over-the-counters, herbals, and vitamin/mineral/dietary (nutritional) supplements AND must contain the medications' name, dosage, frequency and route of administrationDetails
226Preventive Care and Screening: Tobacco Use: Screening and Cessation InterventionnoProcessPercentage of patients aged 18 years and older who were screened for tobacco use one or more times within 24 months AND who received tobacco cessation intervention if identified as a tobacco user.Details
317Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for High Blood Pressure and Follow-Up DocumentednoProcessPercentage of patients aged 18 years and older seen during the reporting period who were screened for high blood pressure AND a recommended follow-up plan is documented based on the current blood pressure (BP) reading as indicatedDetails
342Pain Brought Under Control Within 48 HoursyesOutcomePatients aged 18 and older who report being uncomfortable because of pain at the initial assessment (after admission to palliative care services) who report pain was brought to a comfortable level within 48 hoursDetails
358Patient-Centered Surgical Risk Assessment and CommunicationyesProcessPercentage of patients who underwent a non-emergency surgery who had their personalized risks of postoperative complications assessed by their surgical team prior to surgery using a clinical data-based, patient-specific risk calculator and who received personal discussion of those risks with the surgeonDetails
404Anesthesiology Smoking AbstinenceyesIntermediate OutcomeThe percentage of current smokers who abstain from cigarettes prior to anesthesia on the day of elective surgery or procedureDetails
424Perioperative Temperature ManagementyesOutcomePercentage of patients, regardless of age, who undergo surgical or therapeutic procedures under general or neuraxial anesthesia of 60 minutes duration or longer for whom at least one body temperature greater than or equal to 35.5 degrees Celsius (or 95.9 degrees Fahrenheit) was achieved within the 30 minutes immediately before or the 15 minutes immediately after anesthesia end timeDetails
430Prevention of Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) – Combination TherapyyesProcessPercentage of patients, aged 18 years and older, who undergo a procedure under an inhalational general anesthetic, AND who have three or more risk factors for post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), who receive combination therapy consisting of at least two prophylactic pharmacologic antiemetic agents of different classes preoperatively and/or intraoperativelyDetails
431Preventive Care and Screening: Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Screening & Brief CounselingnoProcessPercentage of patients aged 18 years and older who were screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method at least once within the last 24 months AND who received brief counseling if identified as an unhealthy alcohol userDetails
463Prevention of Post-Operative Vomiting (POV) – Combination Therapy (Pediatrics)yesProcessPercentage of patients aged 3 through 17 years, who undergo a procedure under general anesthesia in which an inhalational anesthetic is used for maintenance AND who have two or more risk factors for post-operative vomiting (POV), who receive combination therapy consisting of at least two prophylactic pharmacologic anti-emetic agents of different classes preoperatively and/or intraoperativelyDetails

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How to Select MIPS Improvement Activities

Step 1Step 1 : Determine how many points are needed for successful reporting.

  • • 40 points: The standard number of required points and the maximum score for this Performance Category.
  • • 20 points: For small or rural practices, HPSAs, or non-patient facing clinicians/groups.
  • • 0 points: Certified Patient Centered Medical Homes receive full credit. A Patient Centered Medical Home must be attested to and will not automatically be classified by CMS as such.

Step 2Step 2 : Select Improvement Activities

High-weighted activities are worth 20 points, while medium-weight activities are worth 10 points. Participants can select any combination of activities to meet the requirement.


Recommended Improvement Activities

Activity IdActivity NameActivity WeightingActivity Description
IA_CC_15PSH Care CoordinationMediumParticipation in a Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) that provides a patient-centered, physician-led, interdisciplinary, and team-based system of coordinated patient care, which coordinates care from pre-procedure assessment through the acute care episode, recovery, and post-acute care. This activity allows for reporting of strategies and processes related to care coordination of patients receiving surgical or procedural care within a PSH. The clinician must perform one or more of the following care coordination activities:Details
IA_BE_6Collection and follow-up on patient experience and satisfaction data on beneficiary engagementHighCollection and follow-up on patient experience and satisfaction data on beneficiary engagement, including development of improvement plan.Details
IA_BE_13Regularly assess the patient experience of care through surveys, advisory councils and/or other mechanismsMediumRegularly assess the patient experience of care through surveys, advisory councils and/or other mechanisms.Details
IA_PSPA_1Participation in an AHRQ-listed patient safety organizationMediumParticipation in an AHRQ-listed patient safety organization.Details
IA_PSPA_3Participate in IHI Training/Forum Event; National Academy of Medicine, AHRQ Team STEPPS® or Other Similar ActivityMediumFor MIPS eligible clinicians not participating in Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part IV, new engagement for MOC Part IV, such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Training/Forum Event; National Academy of Medicine, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Team STEPPS®, or the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Performance in Practice Modules.Details
IA_PSPA_6Consultation of the Prescription Drug Monitoring ProgramHighClinicians would attest to reviewing the patients’ history of controlled substance prescription using state prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data prior to the issuance of a Controlled Substance Schedule II (CSII) opioid prescription lasting longer than 3 days. For the transition year, clinicians would attest to 60 percent review of applicable patient’s history. For the Quality Payment Program Year 2 and future years, clinicians would attest to 75 percent review of applicable patient’s history performance.Details
IA_PSPA_7Use of QCDR data for ongoing practice assessment and improvementsMediumParticipation in a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) and use of QCDR data for ongoing practice assessment and improvements in patient safety, including:Details
IA_PSPA_8Use of Patient Safety ToolsMedium

In order to receive credit for this activity, a MIPS eligible clinician must use tools that assist specialty practices in tracking specific measures that are meaningful to their practice.

Some examples of tools that could satisfy this activity are: a surgical risk calculator; evidence based protocols, such as Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols; the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guide for Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings predictive algorithms; and the opiate risk tool (ORT) or similar tool.

Details
IA_PSPA_15Implementation of an ASPMediumLeadership of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) that includes implementation of an ASP that measures the appropriate use of antibiotics for several different conditions (such as but not limited to upper respiratory infection treatment in children, diagnosis of pharyngitis, bronchitis treatment in adults) according to clinical guidelines for diagnostics and therapeutics. Specific activities may include:
  • Develop facility-specific antibiogram and prepare report of findings with specific action plan that aligns with overall facility or practice strategic plan.
  • Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of patient care and patient safety protocols for the delivery of ASP including protocols pertaining to the most appropriate setting for such services (i.e., outpatient or inpatient).
  • Assist in improving ASP service line efficiency and effectiveness by evaluating and recommending improvements in the management structure and workflow of ASP processes.
  • Manage compliance of the ASP policies and assist with implementation of corrective actions in accordance with facility or clinic compliance policies and hospital medical staff by-laws.
  • Lead the education and training of professional support staff for the purpose of maintaining an efficient and effective ASP.
  • Coordinate communications between ASP management and facility or practice personnel regarding activities, services, and operational/clinical protocols to achieve overall compliance and understanding of the ASP.
  • Assist, at the request of the facility or practice, in preparing for and responding to third-party requests, including but not limited to payer audits, governmental inquiries, and professional inquiries that pertain to the ASP service line.
  • Implementing and tracking an evidence-based policy or practice aimed at improving antibiotic prescribing practices for high-priority conditions.
  • Developing and implementing evidence-based protocols and decision-support for diagnosis and treatment of common infections.
  • Implementing evidence-based protocols that align with recommendations in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship guidance.
Details
IA_PSPA_23Completion of CDC Training on Antibiotic StewardshipHighCompletion of all modules of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention antibiotic stewardship course. Note: This activity may be selected once every 4 years, to avoid duplicative information given that some of the modules may change on a year by year basis but over 4 years there would be a reasonable expectation for the set of modules to have undergone substantive change, for the improvement activities performance category score.Details
IA_BMH_2Tobacco useMediumTobacco use: Regular engagement of MIPS eligible clinicians or groups in integrated prevention and treatment interventions, including tobacco use screening and cessation interventions (refer to NQF #0028) for patients with co-occurring conditions of behavioral or mental health and at risk factors for tobacco dependence.Details

Subscribe to the Healthmonix Advisor for more specialty specific content.

The Healthmonix Advisor is a free weekly news source, connecting you to the latest updates in the value-based care industry.

How to Select MIPS Quality Measures

Step 1 : Select At Least 1 Outcome Measure

For the MIPS Quality Performance Category, you must report at least one outcome measure. If no outcome measures are applicable to your patient population, then you must select at least one high-priority measure (see Step 2). The outcome measures you report count towards the six measure requirement for the Quality Performance Category. Reporting additional outcome measures beyond the required one will award two (2) bonus points to your Quality Performance Category Score.

Step 2 : Select Applicable High-Priority Measures

If you were able to select an outcome measure in Step 1, this step is optional. Non-outcome high-priority measures are worth one (1) bonus point for the Quality Performance Category. This makes it a smart idea to include as many outcome and/or high-priority measures as possible in your six Quality Performance Category Measures.

Step 3 : Make Sure You Have 6 Measures Selected

If you have not yet selected six measures and are aiming for a positive MIPS Payment Adjustment, select from the other recommended measures. If you report over six measures, CMS will calculate your MIPS Quality Performance Score using your top performing quality measures.

Recommended Quality Measures

Quality IdMeasure NameHigh PriorityMeasure TypeMeasure Descriptionhf:tax:specialty_measure_setshf:tax:collection_types
044Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG): Preoperative Beta-Blocker in Patients with Isolated CABG SurgerynoProcessPercentage of isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) surgeries for patients aged 18 years and older who received a beta-blocker within 24 hours prior to surgical incisionDetails
047Advance Care PlanyesProcessPercentage of patients aged 65 years and older who have an advance care plan or surrogate decision maker documented in the medical record or documentation in the medical record that an advance care plan was discussed but the patient did not wish or was not able to name a surrogate decision maker or provide an advance care planDetails
076Prevention of Central Venous Catheter (CVC) - Related Bloodstream InfectionsyesProcessPercentage of patients, regardless of age, who undergo central venous catheter (CVC) insertion for whom CVC was inserted with all elements of maximal sterile barrier technique, hand hygiene, skin preparation and, if ultrasound is used, sterile ultrasound techniques followedDetails
128Preventive Care and Screening: Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up PlannoProcessPercentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a BMI documented during the current encounter or during the previous twelve months AND with a BMI outside of normal parameters, a follow-up plan is documented during the encounter or during the previous twelve months of the current encounter

Normal Parameters: Age 18 years and older BMI => 18.5 and < 25 kg/m2
Details
130Documentation of Current Medications in the Medical RecordyesProcessPercentage of visits for patients aged 18 years and older for which the eligible professional or eligible clinician attests to documenting a list of current medications using all immediate resources available on the date of the encounter. This list must include ALL known prescriptions, over-the-counters, herbals, and vitamin/mineral/dietary (nutritional) supplements AND must contain the medications' name, dosage, frequency and route of administrationDetails
226Preventive Care and Screening: Tobacco Use: Screening and Cessation InterventionnoProcessPercentage of patients aged 18 years and older who were screened for tobacco use one or more times within 24 months AND who received tobacco cessation intervention if identified as a tobacco user.Details
317Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for High Blood Pressure and Follow-Up DocumentednoProcessPercentage of patients aged 18 years and older seen during the reporting period who were screened for high blood pressure AND a recommended follow-up plan is documented based on the current blood pressure (BP) reading as indicatedDetails
342Pain Brought Under Control Within 48 HoursyesOutcomePatients aged 18 and older who report being uncomfortable because of pain at the initial assessment (after admission to palliative care services) who report pain was brought to a comfortable level within 48 hoursDetails
358Patient-Centered Surgical Risk Assessment and CommunicationyesProcessPercentage of patients who underwent a non-emergency surgery who had their personalized risks of postoperative complications assessed by their surgical team prior to surgery using a clinical data-based, patient-specific risk calculator and who received personal discussion of those risks with the surgeonDetails
404Anesthesiology Smoking AbstinenceyesIntermediate OutcomeThe percentage of current smokers who abstain from cigarettes prior to anesthesia on the day of elective surgery or procedureDetails
424Perioperative Temperature ManagementyesOutcomePercentage of patients, regardless of age, who undergo surgical or therapeutic procedures under general or neuraxial anesthesia of 60 minutes duration or longer for whom at least one body temperature greater than or equal to 35.5 degrees Celsius (or 95.9 degrees Fahrenheit) was achieved within the 30 minutes immediately before or the 15 minutes immediately after anesthesia end timeDetails
430Prevention of Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) – Combination TherapyyesProcessPercentage of patients, aged 18 years and older, who undergo a procedure under an inhalational general anesthetic, AND who have three or more risk factors for post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), who receive combination therapy consisting of at least two prophylactic pharmacologic antiemetic agents of different classes preoperatively and/or intraoperativelyDetails
431Preventive Care and Screening: Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Screening & Brief CounselingnoProcessPercentage of patients aged 18 years and older who were screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method at least once within the last 24 months AND who received brief counseling if identified as an unhealthy alcohol userDetails
463Prevention of Post-Operative Vomiting (POV) – Combination Therapy (Pediatrics)yesProcessPercentage of patients aged 3 through 17 years, who undergo a procedure under general anesthesia in which an inhalational anesthetic is used for maintenance AND who have two or more risk factors for post-operative vomiting (POV), who receive combination therapy consisting of at least two prophylactic pharmacologic anti-emetic agents of different classes preoperatively and/or intraoperativelyDetails
[divider style=”full”]

How to Select MIPS Improvement Activities

Step 1Step 1 : Determine how many points are needed for successful reporting.

  • 40 points: The standard number of required points and the maximum score for this Performance Category.
  • 20 points: For small or rural practices, HPSAs, or non-patient facing clinicians/groups.
  • 0 points: Certified Patient Centered Medical Homes receive full credit. A Patient Centered Medical Home must be attested to and will not automatically be classified by CMS as such.

Step 2Step 2 : Select Improvement Activities

High-weighted activities are worth 20 points, while medium-weight activities are worth 10 points. Participants can select any combination of activities to meet the requirement.

Recommended Improvement Activities

Activity IdActivity NameActivity WeightingActivity Description
IA_CC_15PSH Care CoordinationMediumParticipation in a Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) that provides a patient-centered, physician-led, interdisciplinary, and team-based system of coordinated patient care, which coordinates care from pre-procedure assessment through the acute care episode, recovery, and post-acute care. This activity allows for reporting of strategies and processes related to care coordination of patients receiving surgical or procedural care within a PSH. The clinician must perform one or more of the following care coordination activities:Details
IA_BE_6Collection and follow-up on patient experience and satisfaction data on beneficiary engagementHighCollection and follow-up on patient experience and satisfaction data on beneficiary engagement, including development of improvement plan.Details
IA_BE_13Regularly assess the patient experience of care through surveys, advisory councils and/or other mechanismsMediumRegularly assess the patient experience of care through surveys, advisory councils and/or other mechanisms.Details
IA_PSPA_1Participation in an AHRQ-listed patient safety organizationMediumParticipation in an AHRQ-listed patient safety organization.Details
IA_PSPA_3Participate in IHI Training/Forum Event; National Academy of Medicine, AHRQ Team STEPPS® or Other Similar ActivityMediumFor MIPS eligible clinicians not participating in Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Part IV, new engagement for MOC Part IV, such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Training/Forum Event; National Academy of Medicine, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Team STEPPS®, or the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Performance in Practice Modules.Details
IA_PSPA_6Consultation of the Prescription Drug Monitoring ProgramHighClinicians would attest to reviewing the patients’ history of controlled substance prescription using state prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) data prior to the issuance of a Controlled Substance Schedule II (CSII) opioid prescription lasting longer than 3 days. For the transition year, clinicians would attest to 60 percent review of applicable patient’s history. For the Quality Payment Program Year 2 and future years, clinicians would attest to 75 percent review of applicable patient’s history performance.Details
IA_PSPA_7Use of QCDR data for ongoing practice assessment and improvementsMediumParticipation in a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) and use of QCDR data for ongoing practice assessment and improvements in patient safety, including:Details
IA_PSPA_8Use of Patient Safety ToolsMedium

In order to receive credit for this activity, a MIPS eligible clinician must use tools that assist specialty practices in tracking specific measures that are meaningful to their practice.

Some examples of tools that could satisfy this activity are: a surgical risk calculator; evidence based protocols, such as Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols; the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guide for Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings predictive algorithms; and the opiate risk tool (ORT) or similar tool.

Details
IA_PSPA_15Implementation of an ASPMediumLeadership of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) that includes implementation of an ASP that measures the appropriate use of antibiotics for several different conditions (such as but not limited to upper respiratory infection treatment in children, diagnosis of pharyngitis, bronchitis treatment in adults) according to clinical guidelines for diagnostics and therapeutics. Specific activities may include:
  • Develop facility-specific antibiogram and prepare report of findings with specific action plan that aligns with overall facility or practice strategic plan.
  • Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of patient care and patient safety protocols for the delivery of ASP including protocols pertaining to the most appropriate setting for such services (i.e., outpatient or inpatient).
  • Assist in improving ASP service line efficiency and effectiveness by evaluating and recommending improvements in the management structure and workflow of ASP processes.
  • Manage compliance of the ASP policies and assist with implementation of corrective actions in accordance with facility or clinic compliance policies and hospital medical staff by-laws.
  • Lead the education and training of professional support staff for the purpose of maintaining an efficient and effective ASP.
  • Coordinate communications between ASP management and facility or practice personnel regarding activities, services, and operational/clinical protocols to achieve overall compliance and understanding of the ASP.
  • Assist, at the request of the facility or practice, in preparing for and responding to third-party requests, including but not limited to payer audits, governmental inquiries, and professional inquiries that pertain to the ASP service line.
  • Implementing and tracking an evidence-based policy or practice aimed at improving antibiotic prescribing practices for high-priority conditions.
  • Developing and implementing evidence-based protocols and decision-support for diagnosis and treatment of common infections.
  • Implementing evidence-based protocols that align with recommendations in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Core Elements of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship guidance.
Details
IA_PSPA_23Completion of CDC Training on Antibiotic StewardshipHighCompletion of all modules of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention antibiotic stewardship course. Note: This activity may be selected once every 4 years, to avoid duplicative information given that some of the modules may change on a year by year basis but over 4 years there would be a reasonable expectation for the set of modules to have undergone substantive change, for the improvement activities performance category score.Details
IA_BMH_2Tobacco useMediumTobacco use: Regular engagement of MIPS eligible clinicians or groups in integrated prevention and treatment interventions, including tobacco use screening and cessation interventions (refer to NQF #0028) for patients with co-occurring conditions of behavioral or mental health and at risk factors for tobacco dependence.Details

Subscribe to the Healthmonix Advisor for more specialty specific content.

The Healthmonix Advisor is a free weekly news source, connecting you to the latest updates in the value-based care industry.