PHQ-8 as Depression Screening Tool

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    • Type: EC eCQMs - Eligible Clinicians
    • Resolution: Answered
    • Priority: Moderate
    • Component/s: None
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      Thank you for inquiring about the Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for Depression and Follow-Up Plan eCQM. Please note that the measure is not prescriptive as to which tools may be used to screen for depression, but rather only requires that providers use “A normalized and validated depression screening tool developed for the patient population in which it is being utilized.” The list contained within the v14 specification is not all-encompassing. Therefore, if the PHQ-8 or another tool is normalized and validated with clear guidance on whether a particular score is considered positive for depression, it may be used to evaluate the measure’s performance. The measure’s Guidance section indicates the following:
      “Screening Tools:
      - An age-appropriate, standardized, and validated depression screening tool must be used for numerator compliance.
      - The name of the age-appropriate standardized depression screening tool utilized must be documented in the medical record.
      - The depression screening must be reviewed and addressed by the provider, filing the code, on the date of the encounter. Positive pre-screening results indicating a patient is at high risk for self-harm should receive more urgent intervention as determined by the provider practice.”
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      Thank you for inquiring about the Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for Depression and Follow-Up Plan eCQM. Please note that the measure is not prescriptive as to which tools may be used to screen for depression, but rather only requires that providers use “A normalized and validated depression screening tool developed for the patient population in which it is being utilized.” The list contained within the v14 specification is not all-encompassing. Therefore, if the PHQ-8 or another tool is normalized and validated with clear guidance on whether a particular score is considered positive for depression, it may be used to evaluate the measure’s performance. The measure’s Guidance section indicates the following: “Screening Tools: - An age-appropriate, standardized, and validated depression screening tool must be used for numerator compliance. - The name of the age-appropriate standardized depression screening tool utilized must be documented in the medical record. - The depression screening must be reviewed and addressed by the provider, filing the code, on the date of the encounter. Positive pre-screening results indicating a patient is at high risk for self-harm should receive more urgent intervention as determined by the provider practice.”
    • CMS0002v14

      For the depression screening metric (in eCQM/MIPS CQM and Medicare CQM), we would like to inquire if the PHQ8 is acceptable. Please see an article that references that the PHQ8 is not statistically different from a PHQ9 screening (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6504773/pdf/pi-2019-02-01.pdf).

            Assignee:
            AIR EC eCQM Team
            Reporter:
            Michelle Leigh Smith (Inactive)
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