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 Id | Measure Name | High Priority | Measure Type | Measure Description | hf:tax:specialty_measure_sets | hf:tax:collection_types | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 044 | Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG): Preoperative Beta-Blocker in Patients with Isolated CABG Surgery | no | Process | Percentage 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 incision | Details | ||
| 047 | Advance Care Plan | yes | Process | Percentage 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 plan | Details | ||
| 076 | Prevention of Central Venous Catheter (CVC) - Related Bloodstream Infections | yes | Process | Percentage 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 followed | Details | ||
| 128 | Preventive Care and Screening: Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up Plan | no | Process | Percentage 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 | ||
| 130 | Documentation of Current Medications in the Medical Record | yes | Process | Percentage 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 administration | Details | ||
| 226 | Preventive Care and Screening: Tobacco Use: Screening and Cessation Intervention | no | Process | Percentage 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 | ||
| 317 | Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for High Blood Pressure and Follow-Up Documented | no | Process | Percentage 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 indicated | Details | ||
| 342 | Pain Brought Under Control Within 48 Hours | yes | Outcome | Patients 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 hours | Details | ||
| 358 | Patient-Centered Surgical Risk Assessment and Communication | yes | Process | Percentage 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 surgeon | Details | ||
| 404 | Anesthesiology Smoking Abstinence | yes | Intermediate Outcome | The percentage of current smokers who abstain from cigarettes prior to anesthesia on the day of elective surgery or procedure | Details | ||
| 424 | Perioperative Temperature Management | yes | Outcome | Percentage 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 time | Details | ||
| 430 | Prevention of Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) – Combination Therapy | yes | Process | Percentage 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 intraoperatively | Details | ||
| 431 | Preventive Care and Screening: Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Screening & Brief Counseling | no | Process | Percentage 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 user | Details | ||
| 463 | Prevention of Post-Operative Vomiting (POV) – Combination Therapy (Pediatrics) | yes | Process | Percentage 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 intraoperatively | Details |
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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 Id | Activity Name | Activity Weighting | Activity Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IA_CC_15 | PSH Care Coordination | Medium | Participation 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_6 | Collection and follow-up on patient experience and satisfaction data on beneficiary engagement | High | Collection and follow-up on patient experience and satisfaction data on beneficiary engagement, including development of improvement plan. | Details |
| IA_BE_13 | Regularly assess the patient experience of care through surveys, advisory councils and/or other mechanisms | Medium | Regularly assess the patient experience of care through surveys, advisory councils and/or other mechanisms. | Details |
| IA_PSPA_1 | Participation in an AHRQ-listed patient safety organization | Medium | Participation in an AHRQ-listed patient safety organization. | Details |
| IA_PSPA_3 | Participate in IHI Training/Forum Event; National Academy of Medicine, AHRQ Team STEPPS® or Other Similar Activity | Medium | For 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_6 | Consultation of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program | High | Clinicians 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_7 | Use of QCDR data for ongoing practice assessment and improvements | Medium | Participation 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_8 | Use of Patient Safety Tools | Medium | 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_15 | Implementation of an ASP | Medium | Leadership 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:
| Details |
| IA_PSPA_23 | Completion of CDC Training on Antibiotic Stewardship | High | Completion 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_2 | Tobacco use | Medium | Tobacco 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 |
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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 Id | Measure Name | High Priority | Measure Type | Measure Description | hf:tax:specialty_measure_sets | hf:tax:collection_types | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 044 | Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG): Preoperative Beta-Blocker in Patients with Isolated CABG Surgery | no | Process | Percentage 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 incision | Details | ||
| 047 | Advance Care Plan | yes | Process | Percentage 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 plan | Details | ||
| 076 | Prevention of Central Venous Catheter (CVC) - Related Bloodstream Infections | yes | Process | Percentage 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 followed | Details | ||
| 128 | Preventive Care and Screening: Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up Plan | no | Process | Percentage 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 | ||
| 130 | Documentation of Current Medications in the Medical Record | yes | Process | Percentage 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 administration | Details | ||
| 226 | Preventive Care and Screening: Tobacco Use: Screening and Cessation Intervention | no | Process | Percentage 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 | ||
| 317 | Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for High Blood Pressure and Follow-Up Documented | no | Process | Percentage 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 indicated | Details | ||
| 342 | Pain Brought Under Control Within 48 Hours | yes | Outcome | Patients 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 hours | Details | ||
| 358 | Patient-Centered Surgical Risk Assessment and Communication | yes | Process | Percentage 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 surgeon | Details | ||
| 404 | Anesthesiology Smoking Abstinence | yes | Intermediate Outcome | The percentage of current smokers who abstain from cigarettes prior to anesthesia on the day of elective surgery or procedure | Details | ||
| 424 | Perioperative Temperature Management | yes | Outcome | Percentage 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 time | Details | ||
| 430 | Prevention of Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) – Combination Therapy | yes | Process | Percentage 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 intraoperatively | Details | ||
| 431 | Preventive Care and Screening: Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Screening & Brief Counseling | no | Process | Percentage 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 user | Details | ||
| 463 | Prevention of Post-Operative Vomiting (POV) – Combination Therapy (Pediatrics) | yes | Process | Percentage 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 intraoperatively | Details |
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 Id | Activity Name | Activity Weighting | Activity Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IA_CC_15 | PSH Care Coordination | Medium | Participation 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_6 | Collection and follow-up on patient experience and satisfaction data on beneficiary engagement | High | Collection and follow-up on patient experience and satisfaction data on beneficiary engagement, including development of improvement plan. | Details |
| IA_BE_13 | Regularly assess the patient experience of care through surveys, advisory councils and/or other mechanisms | Medium | Regularly assess the patient experience of care through surveys, advisory councils and/or other mechanisms. | Details |
| IA_PSPA_1 | Participation in an AHRQ-listed patient safety organization | Medium | Participation in an AHRQ-listed patient safety organization. | Details |
| IA_PSPA_3 | Participate in IHI Training/Forum Event; National Academy of Medicine, AHRQ Team STEPPS® or Other Similar Activity | Medium | For 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_6 | Consultation of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program | High | Clinicians 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_7 | Use of QCDR data for ongoing practice assessment and improvements | Medium | Participation 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_8 | Use of Patient Safety Tools | Medium | 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_15 | Implementation of an ASP | Medium | Leadership 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:
| Details |
| IA_PSPA_23 | Completion of CDC Training on Antibiotic Stewardship | High | Completion 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_2 | Tobacco use | Medium | Tobacco 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 |
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