eCQM Screening for Depression and Follow Up

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    • Type: EC eCQMs - Eligible Clinicians
    • Resolution: Answered
    • Priority: Moderate
    • Component/s: None
    • None
    • Tomasina Green
    • Hide
      Thank you for inquiring about the Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for Depression and Follow-Up Plan. The measure’s Guidance section states, “This measure does not require documentation of a specific score, just whether results of the normalized and validated depression screening tool used are considered positive or negative.” The patient's responses to the initial depression screening, even if only mild depression based on scoring, require a follow-up (non-screening or assessment) action within 2 days of the encounter. The need for follow-up is determined by the age-appropriate, standardized, and validated depression screening tool’s established thresholds for depression (mild or higher). Your research should be focused on identifying what threshold is considered mild depression or higher with the PHQ-2 or PHQ-9, as used at your site. Note that the measure also allows providers to exercise their clinical judgment to determine the intensity of the follow-up intervention ordered or performed, which could be as simple as exercise therapy (SNOMED CT 229065009) for mild depression.
      Show
      Thank you for inquiring about the Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for Depression and Follow-Up Plan. The measure’s Guidance section states, “This measure does not require documentation of a specific score, just whether results of the normalized and validated depression screening tool used are considered positive or negative.” The patient's responses to the initial depression screening, even if only mild depression based on scoring, require a follow-up (non-screening or assessment) action within 2 days of the encounter. The need for follow-up is determined by the age-appropriate, standardized, and validated depression screening tool’s established thresholds for depression (mild or higher). Your research should be focused on identifying what threshold is considered mild depression or higher with the PHQ-2 or PHQ-9, as used at your site. Note that the measure also allows providers to exercise their clinical judgment to determine the intensity of the follow-up intervention ordered or performed, which could be as simple as exercise therapy (SNOMED CT 229065009) for mild depression.
    • CMS0002v14

      For the eCQM metric: Screening for Depression and Follow-up: We understand that CMS allows any type of clinically appropriate screening tool to be used. In our organization we utilize the PHQ2 and PHQ9. From the research we have looked into, it appears that scoring 10+ is appropriate to be considered “positive,” therefore needing the follow-up documentation. When looking at 2026 NCQA/HEDIS Measure Tech specs, a positive depression screen is defined as a score of ≥ 10 on the PHQ-9. CMS eCQM specifies that each standardized screening tool provides guidance on whether a score is considered positive. So CMS defers to the tool’s validated cutoff score. When following the National Quality Forum clinical guidance, that would be ≥ 10. The question: Is it appropriate for us to set a PHQ-9 positive score ≥ 10 which then will trigger the appropriate documentation needed for the f/u?

        1. 2026 NCQA HEDIS.png
          2026 NCQA HEDIS.png
          56 kB

            Assignee:
            AIR EC eCQM Team
            Reporter:
            Tomasina Green
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              Updated:
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