Home Forums Discussions Feedback and Recommendations Meaningful Use CQM

AC Wish Forum: I hope you are reading this at some point. If we are going to have our pay based on 'performance' indicators in the future, we need a more fluent format for this. Physicians should first select what CQM indicators they wish to pursue (i.e. 3 out of the 38). This selection then causes an OPTIONAL window to pop up at the end of every visit, or a box within another window. This would have a nice list of the CQM indicators to check off. For instance:

Discussed Smoking Cessation [] Check!
Colonoscopy has been Discussed []
Counseling on Diet and Weight Control []

A mouse click takes care of these quickly instead of the present very inefficient system. For weight, I have to remember to select V65.3 for tracking. For Tobacco I have to go to Decision Support and click on the counseling indicator. Several others I have to go to Decision Support, but they may not show up as a reminder if a risk factor has not already been selected. In summary, there is no efficient way to be reminded and the default is to do nothing.

I wish AC would focus on making this more effective MU reporting system, rather than pursuing PM.

I totally agree. I love to use the decision support section, but it is too clicky...but it has actually helped keep track of things and I think it could be a great tool for MU....so please get this more user friendly or I feel a forearm shimmy is in order...my arm hurts with all the clicks...I left the hospital to concentrate on a top level office practice..so AC please give me all the help you can....thanks

yes pleeeeeeease help us with the MU features as suggested by Boondoc.
waaa waaa (yes I'm crying, no more like whining). But seriously my lateral epicondylar tendonitis is killing me from all the clicking.

I just had cortisone injections for my De Quervain's in one hand and trigger thumb in the other....think I can file for Workman's Comp?
I agree, far too clicky and many times redundant. Why not combine the "counseling in Primary Care to promote a healthy diet" and "Counseling in Primary Care to promote exercise" into "Counseling (why specify Primary care?) to promote a healthy lifestyle"?

There really is hardly a way to remember all the necessary ways to get the program to log the CQM data - whether an ICD-9 code such as V65.3 on Diet, a selection under Decision Support, an appropriate selected CPT code, or other requirements. When you are trying to fulfill multiple CQM's, the only way is to GO OUTSIDE THE PROGRAM and keep a cheat sheet on your desk. This means the program is failing to do its job. We need a box, window, page, or whatever with those specific criteria that we are trying to fulfill. There are TOO MANY criteria to have them ALL on one page, nor would that be relevant for me. But, I need the specific criteria that I SELECT to be listed and easy to check off.

Here's a possible sample page:
Based on your CQM for [Colonoscopy] [Obesity] [Tobacco] and [ Hypertension]:
[] Add CPT 45383 for Colonoscopy Completed
[] Add V65.3 Patient Counseled on Diet
[] Noted: patient has been counseled to stop smoking.
[] Noted: patient has been screened for HTN
[[]] Check all of the Above. (I certify all this was done)

I have this cheat list on the exam rooms desks, or at least one similar to it.
I've been practicing so much I don't refer to the lists often. But it would make for a really complete MU picture if the list that Boondoc is suggesting were build into the MU wizard.

Excellent idea, Boondoc. Eventhough I do those things, I can never remember to add the cpt codes

I often forget the CPT codes too.
My basic approach to MU (Obama Agents are going to steal me away in the middle of the night for saying this) is to obtain data. I didn't say I'm obtaining "good" data. But I'm obtaining data.

what the govn't does with it is there business, not mine, unless it affects my revenue stream. So if I remember to add V65.3 on a patient with BMI >30 AND select CPT code before saving, then I get the credit....and if I forget to add v65.3 AND I forget the CPT then oh well. At least I'm collecting SOME data for Obama's cronies.

Part of the trouble with CPT codes, is I would never bill this code unless I actually did the colonoscopy. It seems silly to track by CPT codes for these things, as most primary care doctors refer for this. My codes actually go to bills for the patient, so I'm not going to make it up either.

For those of us who do not do colonoscopies, you do not need to use CPT code. You can use the decision support rule for colorectal cancer screening.

See the MU wizard instructions which details for each CQM the options for collecting the appropriate data.