January 1, 2010

NQF 70 Recommended Measures to be Included in National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Ambulatory Care

The National Quality Forum (NQF) has selected 70 recommended measures to be included in national voluntary consensus standards for ambulatory care that should be part of clinically enriched administrative data in an electronic health record (EHR). Three specify laboratory tests for people taking lithium, which is used to treat bipolar disorder and depression; one concerns how quickly people hospitalized for mental health disorders receive follow-up outpatient visits; and one concerns identifying patients with newly diagnosed bipolar disorder who received at least one mood stabilizer prescription post-diagnosis. The measures combine data from common currently used electronic sources, including administrative claims, pharmacy and laboratory systems, and registries. The measures cover sixteen broad conditions, including bone and joint conditions, cardiovascular disease, asthma and respiratory illness, and diabetes.