NQMC Update Service: May 6, 2013 ► Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement

NQMC Update Service: May 6, 2013

May 6, 2013

NQMC Update Service: May 6, 2013

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sent this bulletin at 05/06/2013 12:00 PM EDT

May 6, 2013

New This Week

Measure Summaries

Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients who were advised on maintenance or resumption of activities, against bed rest, use of heat, education on importance of active lifestyle and exercise, and recommendation to take anti-inflammatory or analgesic medication in the first six weeks of pain onset in the absence of "red flags."

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with a diagnosis of non-specific back pain for whom the physician ordered imaging studies during the six weeks after pain onset, in the absence of "red flags."

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with low back pain diagnosis who are prescribed opioids.

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with low back pain diagnosis who have a reassessment at each follow-up visit that includes: pain assessment using the Visual Analog Scale, pain diagram or other assessment tool; functional status using the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire or other assessment tool; clinician's objective assessment; and psychosocial screening that includes depression and chemical dependency screening. This updates a previously published measure summary.

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with low back pain diagnosis who have all of the following at the initial visit with the physician: pain assessment using the Visual Analog Scale, pain diagram or other assessment tool; functional status using the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire or other assessment tool; patient history, including notation of presence or absence of "red flags"; assessment of prior treatment and response; job and activity association; and psychosocial screening that includes depression and chemical dependency screening. This updates a previously published measure summary.

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with low back pain diagnosis who have their functional status assessed using the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire or other assessment tool.

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with low back pain diagnosis who have their pain status assessed using the Visual Analog Scale, pain diagram or other assessment tool.

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with non-specific back pain diagnosis who received inappropriate repeat imaging studies in the absence of "red flags" or progressive symptoms.

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with non-specific low back pain diagnosis who have had collaborative decision-making with regards to referral to a specialist.

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with radicular pain diagnosis who have had collaborative decision-making with regards to imaging, intervention and/or surgery.

• Adult acute and subacute low back pain: percentage of patients with radicular pain for whom the clinician ordered imaging studies during the six weeks after pain onset.