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EC eCQMs - Eligible Clinicians
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Resolution: Answered
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Moderate
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None
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None
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CMS0022v13
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PHQ9 as screening vs symptom/treatment monitoring
In January 2024, issue #CQM-6668 was resolved by directing the questioner to the Quality Net helpdesk. Since I had an essentially identical question, I reached out to this helpdesk recently as was told they no longer handle these issues and they redirected me back to ONC JIRA. I hope you can assist.
Since the original question was so well crafted, I will quote from it:
"The PHQ9s administered during the Collaborative Care encounters [as well as counseling encounters to treat depression] are not re-screens, but instead are attempts for our team to monitor symptoms. Those PHQ9s would be part of the Follow Up plan, and not constitute an eligible encounter or a re-screen. In that case the patient is known to have depression, and we are using the PHQ9 to monitor symptoms and deliver effective care...Is this interpretation consistent with CMS guidance?"
The bracketed segment is my addition to the original question since we also provide counseling with LCSWs in certain encounters found in the encounters to screen for depression.
Thank you very much.