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Annual Update
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Resolution: Incomplete
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Minor
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None
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Howard Bregman
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608.271.9000
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Vendor/EPIC
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The numerator definition of this measure categorizes the patient as user or non-user. But rather than this simple definition of a user:
“Patient Characteristic: Tobacco User" <= 24 month(s) starts before or during "Measurement End Date”
The specification uses this definition of non-user:
AND NOT: "Patient Characteristic: Tobacco User" starts after end of "Occurrence A of Patient Characteristic: Tobacco Non-User"
AND: "Occurrence A of Patient Characteristic: Tobacco Non-User" <= 24 month(s) starts before or during "Measurement End Date
And this one for a user:
AND NOT: "Patient Characteristic: Tobacco Non-User" starts after end of "Occurrence A of Patient Characteristic: Tobacco User"
AND: "Occurrence A of Patient Characteristic: Tobacco User" <= 24 month(s) starts before or during "Measurement End Date"
Which means only the last recording of tobacco status defines the final status. A patient who was last recorded as a non-user is a non-user, and one who was last recorded as a user is a user, no matter what was recorded in the past. A patient could have been designated as a smoker 8-9 times, as long as the last record is as a non-user, the patient is in the numerator without any intervention. But the patient who is a non-smoker until the very last recording and then is marked as a smoker fails if no intervention is given.
Given the measure logic, the following outcomes are defined:
1. A patient who is recorded as a non-smoker 23 months ago and never has status recorded again, despite multiple visits, is counted in the numerator.
2. A patient who has multiple recordings as a smoker and is given no intervention, but in the last visit is marked as a non-smoker, is in counted in the numerator.
3. A patient who is a heavy smoker with multiple visits can be counseled once in a two year period, never counseled again, and is in the numerator. A patient who is marked as a non-smoker in multiple visits for two years, and is marked as a smoker in the last visit and not counseled, is not.
4. A patient who is recorded as having a reason for not recording tobacco status once is excluded from the denominator no matter what happened at any other visit.
5. A patient who is recorded as having a reason for not receiving pharmacotherapy is excluded from the denominator, even if they were never counseled to quit.