Applying Measurement Tools
One example of a measurement tool is the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) comprehensive care measures. Review the components of HEDIS comprehensive diabetes care; then consider the following scenario.
You are a staff nurse working in a private primary care practice. It is a small practice with 2 MDs (internists), 2 nurses, 1 medical assistant, and an office staff for billing. There are approximately 1,000 patients in the practice. You have had no EHR until the last year, but all charts are manual, historically. Your physicians are starting to inquire about quality incentives, particularly regarding patients with diabetes.
Read three or more of your colleagues’ postings from the Discussion question.
Respond to two or more of your colleagues’ postings with a critique of their data mechanisms. Explain whether the data mechanism is practical, how long it might take, any alternatives you might suggest, and/or any electronic data collection possibilities that might apply.
- attached is the response to three colleagues that need to be responded to
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor, it is important to understand the various measurement tools that are used in healthcare to evaluate the quality of care provided to patients. One such tool is the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) comprehensive care measures. In this response, we will evaluate the data mechanisms suggested by our colleagues for measuring HEDIS comprehensive diabetes care, and provide feedback on their practicality, duration, alternative possibilities, and electronic data collection options.
Response:
Colleague 1 suggests that the practice should use a manual chart audit to collect data on HEDIS comprehensive diabetes care measures. While this method may seem practical initially, it may take an extensive amount of time to collect data on 1,000 patient charts manually. Moreover, manual audits may lead to errors and inconsistencies in data collection. Therefore, an alternative option to manual audits could be to implement an electronic health record (EHR) system that can identify and collect data on HEDIS measures automatically.
Colleague 2 proposes the use of a clinical data registry to collect data on HEDIS comprehensive diabetes care measures. While clinical data registries are efficient and effective in data collection, they are also expensive and require the implementation of specialized software. Therefore, depending on the practice’s budget and resources, clinical data registries may not be a practical option. An alternative option could be to use existing EHR systems that are capable of capturing HEDIS measures.
Colleague 3 suggests that the practice could hire a Quality Improvement Nurse (QIN) who is responsible for measuring HEDIS measures. While this may seem practical, it might take an extended period to train and hire a QIN. Additionally, this may be a costly option for a small practice. As an alternative, the practice could use the existing nursing staff to collect data on HEDIS measures using EHR systems or other electronic data collection methods.
In conclusion, evaluating the data mechanisms suggested by our colleagues for measuring HEDIS comprehensive diabetes care measures, it is essential to consider their practicality, duration, alternative possibilities, and electronic data collection options. By doing so, the practice can optimize its data collection methods while sticking to their budget and resource constraints.
