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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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Debra M Barnhart
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4175767605
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Mercy Health ACO, LLC
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CMS0002v14
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CMS0002v13
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Our physicians and providers document PHQ 9 using a PHQ2/9 combination template. We have discovered reporting errors related to the PHQ 2/9. The PHQ 2/9 includes a total score for both the PHQ2 and the PHQ9. A PHQ 2/9 combination template is when a score for the PHQ 2 is totaled after the responses to the first two questions are documented and a total PHQ 9 score is displayed after the remaining 7 question responses are documented. When the patient’s responses are entered into the EHR the time stamp file time for the PHQ 2 and the PHQ 9 score totals are the same. A patient may have a negative PHQ 2 score and a positive PHQ9 score or a positive PHQ2 score and a negative PHQ 9 score. The CMS infrastructure looks to the first score associated with the PHQ2 and ignores the PHQ 9 score. According to our EHR vendor, CMS has not provided the infrastructure (logic) to account for this scenario when the score is negative and the clinicians assessment is positive (or the reverse) or when a PHQ 2/9 is documented. The CMS infrastructure (logic) does not consider scenarios where both mappings (PHQ 2 and PHQ 9) are present and the file time and date stamp are the same. Physicians and other eligible providers review the outcome (score) of the screening tool and clinically assess the patient for signs and symptoms of depression. The eligible provider documents their clinical assessment – depression screening is negative or depression screening is positive. When the PHQ 2/9 is used it is possible for the PHQ 2 score total to be positive or negative. The eligible providers clinical assessment for depression may not match the score. Our EHR vendor has said that they are not able to modify code to address these scenarios and that the change must come from CMS.
We are unable to reliably submit eCQMs for quality reporting until guidance is given on this scenario.