NCQA to Present at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting

April 30, 2025 · Becky Kolinski

NCQA will present on nine research topics at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) in Minneapolis, MN, on June 7–10. The ARM convenes thousands of health services researchers and industry experts to share important research findings on how the health system works, what it costs and how to improve it.

“We’re thrilled that so many of our research presentations were accepted by AcademyHealth,” says NCQA’s Karen Sheares, Vice President of Quality Sciences. “It shows the breadth and depth of our capabilities, and validates that we are focusing on the topics people care about. We’re grateful for the support from funding organizations who are aligned with our mission to improve the quality of health care.”

Below are the research topics NCQA will present at the ARM.

Panel and Podium Sessions

NCQA staff will present at four sessions at ARM.

• Julie Seibert, AVP, Behavioral Health, will join a panel presentation: Community-Led Quality Measures to Improve Outcomes for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
• Yazhini Ramesh, Manager, Health Equity Sciences, will join a panel presentation: Understanding Priorities of Quality Measurement in the Disability Equity Space.
• Rachel Harrington, AVP, Health Equity Sciences, will join a panel presentation: Multi-Sector Responses to Updated Federal Standards for Race and Ethnicity Data Collection.
• Rachel will also moderate Randomized Evaluations to Improve Care Delivery: From Deprescribing Tools to Collaborative Dementia Care.

Poster Sessions

NCQA staff will share their research in five poster presentations.

• Current State of Disability Status Collection in Health Settings. This study shares results of NCQA’s survey on data collection of disability status, variation across health care organizations and the impact on development of measures and standards for people with disabilities.
  • Authors: Polina Lissin, Amena Keshawarz, Yazhini Ramesh

• Distinct Pathways: Comparative Analysis of PCO Implementation Outcomes in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and Long-Term Services and Supports/Primary Care Settings. This study compares the implementation of person-centered outcome measures across care settings—197 clinicians and 7,867 individuals receiving care—and examines differences in goal identification, follow-up and goal achievement.
  • Authors: Xiaofei Zhou, Daniela Lawton, Sarah Sweeney, Caroline Blaum, Julie Seibert

• Improving Policy and Systems for Social Needs Measurement: Key Insights from Year One. This study summarizes the performance of NCQA’s Social Need Screening and Intervention HEDIS measure—introduced in 2023—and presents results across commercial, Medicare and Medicaid plans.
  • Authors: Adrianna Nava, Polina Lissin, Kathleen Gruschow, Ryan Acton, Caroline Blaum, Rachel Harrington

• National Trends in Post-ED Follow-Ups for Asthma: Characterizing the Gaps Between Clinical Guidelines for Asthma Care and Health Care Utilization Patterns Across Commercial Health Plans. This study examined commercial claims data to gain new insights into the frequency of outpatient follow-up after ED visits for asthma, and the patient demographics and other factors that impact follow-up care.
  • Authors: Michael Cocchiola, Danielle Rainis, Amena Keshawarz, Haley Malone, Ashley Moss, Ryan Acton, Caroline Blaum

• The Resilient Health Systems Model: Practical Actions for Health Plans to Reduce Carbon Footprints. The health care sector accounts for 8.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions, but is less engaged in reducing its carbon footprint than other industries. This study identifies practical strategies for health plans to mitigate their environmental impact.
  • Authors: Adrianna Nava, Laura Zwolinski, Keirsha Thompson, Justine McLaughlin, Karen Sheares

“The AcademyHealth annual research meeting is a place to engage in productive conversations about health services research and policy,” says Sheares. “We look forward to sharing our findings and learning about the work others are doing that will impact the health of individuals and communities in the U.S. for years to come.”

Join Us in Minneapolis!

If you’d like to hear our presentations in person, register for the 2025 Academy Health ARM.

We’ll highlight some of our ARM presentations in the NCQA blog following the event, so stay tuned!