[CarolynS]

Subject: AAN Announces 10 Quality Measures for PD Care

EMove, Date: 11/29/2010
Balance of item: http://www.mdvu.org/emove/article.asp?ID=1286

The American Academy of Neurology has formulated a set of 10 quality measures for care of Parkinson’s disease patients. The measures are designed to permit “evaluation of health care on its value, roughly defined as a ratio of quality to cost, and this is a step forward from evaluating health care solely on cost,” according to the report. “Desirable physician-level measures address a gap in care, are evidence-based and linked to outcomes, are actionable, are feasible to collect, and have well-defined specifications.”

The 10 measures (and frequency of inquiry) are:
1. Annual Parkinson disease diagnosis review (at least annually)
2. Psychiatric disorders or disturbances assessment (at least annually)
3. Cognitive impairment or dysfunction assessment (at least annually)
4. Querying about symptoms of autonomic dysfunction (at least annually)
5. Querying about sleep disturbances (at least annually)
6. Querying about falls (every visit)
7. Parkinson disease rehabilitative therapy options (at least annually)
8. Parkinson disease–related safety issues counseling (at least annually)
9. Querying about Parkinson disease medication–related motor complications (every visit)
10. Parkinson disease medical and surgical treatment options reviewed (at least annually)

[indigogo]

This seems to be a step in the right direction - it's just so, well, clinical (!) as written. Can't believe the only factor used previously was cost!

[Conductor71]

Originally Posted by digger

Subject: AAN Announces 10 Quality Measures for PD Care

EMove, Date: 11/29/2010
Balance of item: http://www.mdvu.org/emove/article.asp?ID=1286

The American Academy of Neurology has formulated a set of 10 quality measures for care of Parkinson’s disease patients. The measures are designed to permit “evaluation of health care on its value, roughly defined as a ratio of quality to cost, and this is a step forward from evaluating health care solely on cost,” according to the report. “Desirable physician-level measures address a gap in care, are evidence-based and linked to outcomes, are actionable, are feasible to collect, and have well-defined specifications.”

The 10 measures (and frequency of inquiry) are:
1. Annual Parkinson disease diagnosis review (at least annually)
2. Psychiatric disorders or disturbances assessment (at least annually)
3. Cognitive impairment or dysfunction assessment (at least annually)
4. Querying about symptoms of autonomic dysfunction (at least annually)
5. Querying about sleep disturbances (at least annually)
6. Querying about falls (every visit)
7. Parkinson disease rehabilitative therapy options (at least annually)
8. Parkinson disease–related safety issues counseling (at least annually)
9. Querying about Parkinson disease medication–related motor complications (every visit)
10. Parkinson disease medical and surgical treatment options reviewed (at least annually)

Thanks for this! I wondered if we might see it here. I don't know if all of you remember but last year the AAN actually invited PWP to comment on these when they were under development. We were given the opportunity to help shape these measures, so cool to see them :-)

[Jaye]

Anyone know if the diagnosis review includes yanking the patient off their meds?

[tulip girl]

Originally Posted by Jaye

Anyone know if the diagnosis review includes yanking the patient off their meds?

Jaye,
For the majority of patients, "yanking" them off of their meds is a bad idea and would drive up costs, not to mention agony for the patient. The only situation I can think of is if you are on one med and it is questionable whether it is working or you are on so many meds that in order to get some control over it, you need to start clean and restart one at a time or drop a med one at a time. This should be preceeded with a discussion between doctor and patient and be mutually agreed upon. The guideline are open for interpretation IMHO.

TG