October 9, 2004
NINE SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS TO SEEK HEDIS® SOFTWARE CERTIFICATION(SM) IN 2005
Automated software testing includes three new HEDIS measures; results to be announced in December
WASHINGTON—The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) announced today that nine leading commercial software vendors are participating in its certification program for Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS®)-related software. The program uses automated testing to validate software designed to sift through health plan databases, collect relevant data and calculate HEDIS results such as immunization rates for children.
"Our certified vendors have developed proven solutions for their clients to compute and report HEDIS scores quickly and accurately," said Mary Braman, NCQA Director of Licensure and Certification. "Those vendors who have stepped forward have demonstrated their commitment to creating best-in-class products. We look forward to working with them in meeting health plans’ HEDIS data collection and reporting needs."
NCQA offers certification to vendors who develop, license, sell and use HEDIS reporting software. NCQA tests vendors’ software by comparing a product’s output in a series of “test cases” to expected results to determine if the software computes HEDIS results correctly.
The certification process is voluntary; vendors who achieve certification are exempt from manual source code review by NCQA auditors during the HEDIS Compliance Audit®.
Early this summer, NCQA announced the addition of four new performance measures to HEDIS 2005. Certification will address three of the new measures, including:
- Glaucoma Screening in Older Adults
- Persistence of Beta-Blocker Treatment After a Heart Attack
- Use of Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain
Complete details are available at the program’s Web page.
Eight vendors who received certification for 2004 are participating again in the program (see attached list for contact information). The first completed certifications are scheduled for late December.
As in previous years, two vendors are serving as beta test sites in preparation for this year’s program release: TierMed Systems and Catalyst Technologies, Inc. "Certified HEDIS Software is a proven means for our clients to spend more time focusing on quality improvement and less time ensuring that their software is compliant," said Scott Groussman, President, Catalyst Technologies, Inc. "We’re proud to work with NCQA by once again serving as a beta test site for the program."
A list of vendors who achieve certification will be posted on NCQA’s Web site, www.ncqa.org, beginning in December.
For more information on the HEDIS Software Certification(SM) program or to request an application, call Mary Braman, Director, Licensure and Certification, at (202) 955-3583.
NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations, recognizes physicians and physician groups in key clinical areas and manages the evolution of HEDIS®, the tool the nation’s health plans use to measure and report on their performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information through the Web, media and data licensing agreements in order to help consumers, employers and others make more informed health care choices.
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DEVELOPERS SEEKING CERTIFICATION IN 2005
AdvanceMed, Corporation - CompareCare Integrated Solutions
Kelsey Rauch, (703) 818-5618
Austin Provider Solutions - The HEDIS.com Solution
Greg Cohen, (512) 301-9243
Catalyst Technologies, Inc. - Quality Spectrum
Eric Quackenbush, (734) 369-2295
TierMed Systems, LLC - Compass Navigator
Mark Carlson, (952) 345-2050
Ingenix, Inc.- Procise Perform
Steve Loewy, (800) 765-6706
McKesson, LLC - CareEnhance HealthPlan Reporter
Bertie Simcox, (419) 865-0284
Nauset Software, Inc. - HedisPro
Chris Yindra, (800) 563-9484
HEDISHelp/Q Mark, Inc. - HEDISHelp
Donna Jacobson, (800) 947-5762 ext. 119
ViPS, Inc. - MedMeasures
Linda Ciotti, (410) 832-8330 ext. 8634