FAQ Directory

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about NCQA’s various programs. If you don’t see what you are looking for in one of the entries below, you can  ask a question through My NCQA.

Filter Results
  • Save
  • Email
  • Print

5.29.2018 QI 04A How many patients are practices required to survey?

NCQA does not prescribe a sample size or frequency of surveying; however, the survey must represent the entire patient population and not focus on specific conditions or patient groups

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.29.2018 CC 12 How do practices document co-management arrangements?

The practice must demonstrate at least three examples demonstrating co-management arrangements, such as de-identified referral forms that include the arrangements or sections of the medical record specifying the clinician responsible for each component of care. For example, for a diabetic patient who is referred to a medical oncologist, the arrangement would identify which clinician manages the diabetes and which clinician manages the side-effects of the oncology treatment and their expectation for timely sharing of patient information.
 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.29.2018 CC 04C May practices use a “tickler file” for this item within CC 04?

No. The tracking system needs to include a record of both the order and receipt of results. A tickler system includes a copy of the order and is removed when results are received; it does not meet the requirement of the CC 04C because it does not maintain a record of receiving results.
 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.29.2018 QI 15 May a practice with one clinician provide the same evidence for both clinicians and staff in QI 15?

Yes. Because the practice has only one clinician, practice-level data would be the same as clinician-level data, and therefore count for both.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.29.2018 QI 11 May practices focus on improving results of a specific question in a patient experience survey?

Yes. Practices determine the area of patient experience on which to focus quality improvement efforts. This may be improvement of the results of a specific question on a survey, a section of a survey or the entire survey.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.24.2018 KM 12 A May practices use depression screening for both KM 12 A and C?

No. Services must be distinct for each category.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.24.2018 KM 12 Are practices required to provide a separate letter, phone script or other method for each service needed?

No. Practices may demonstrate the same evidence if:

  • The same method of outreach is used for each service.
  • Practices demonstrate an example of the outreach used. 

Practices must provide information about how the letter, phone script or other method is modified for each service reminder. 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.24.2018 KM 16 Isn’t supplying information on all new prescriptions redundant since the same information is provided by a pharmacy?

No. Although it may be duplicate information, practices cannot assume that the pharmacy provided the information to the patient. Communication and partnership with patients are critical functions of the patient-centered medical home, and practices must ensure that patients/families/caregivers understand why medication was prescribed and its benefits and potential harms to the patient. Additionally, patients might not review prescription information provided by a pharmacy, and information might not be tailored to the needs of the patient/family/caregiver.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.24.2018 KM 17 May practices assess response only to medications treating a specific disease of interest?

No. Practices must ask about all medications prescribed to the patient and assess their efficacy, especially for patients identified in CM 01 as needing care management. Patients may have multiple comorbidities and medications, so it is crucial to evaluate their response and barriers to adherence for all medications prescribed to them.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.24.2018 KM 10 How can we best collect language needs information from all patients in our large population?

Practices could use a variety of methods to collect language needs information on a large patient population. They may collect data from all patients and their families to create a report showing language needs or obtain data from an external source (e.g., data about the local community or its patient population). 

Patients who do not speak English and patients from racial/ethnic minority groups may be less inclined to provide this information. Care should be taken to request the information using methods that respect multi-cultural differences. 

Resource: NCQA’s 2010 Multicultural Health Care Standards (Abbreviated) E-Pub: http://store.ncqa.org/index.php/2010-mhc-standards-and-guidelines-electronic-pub.html  

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.24.2018 KM 13 Do PQRS reports or practices who participate in MSSP meet the reporting requirement for KM 13?

No. PQRS reports and Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) would not meet the requirement. For KM 13, practices must demonstrate they participate in an external program that assesses practice-level performance, using a common set of specifications to benchmark results. The external program should also publicly report results and have a process to validate measure integrity. 

PQRS is not a performance-based recognition program and is being rolled into MIPS under the Quality Performance category. The MSSP makes data on Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), rather than at the practice level, publicly available. Because this criterion is not eligible for shared credit, data is required to be at the practice level. 

While participation in these programs does not meet KM 13, practices can use participation in MSSP to meet QI 19. Practices in Track 1 MSSP, would be eligible for QI 19 A (1 credit), and practices in Track 2 MSSP would be eligible for QI 19 B (2 credits).

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.24.2018 KM 16 Do excerpts from medical records indicating that new medications and side effects were reviewed with the patient/family/caregiver meet the requirement?

No. For KM 16, the practice must both (1) generate a report that demonstrates more than 50 percent of patients have documentation in their medical record that they were assessed and provided education on new prescriptions and (2) demonstrate evidence of the process, which could include showing a patient medical record during virtual review. It is up to the practice to determine the best method for sharing new medication information with patients, and the practice should consider patient language, literacy and health literacy in providing information or materials.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017