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.

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6.14.2018 CM 08 (Pediatric Specific) Does the asthma action plan count as a self-management tool for pediatric patients?

If the asthma action plan enables patients to track/monitor their progress and document health information at home using a form or some other method of documentation with helpful instructions for self-management, then it would be acceptable.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 QI 01 (Pediatric Specific) Can a practice use the CHIPRA Initial Core Set of Children’s Health Care Quality Measures?

Yes. Measures from the CHIPRA Initial Core Set meet the requirements.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 CM 01D (Pediatric Specific) May practices use “limited or no family/caregiver support” as a social determinant of health?

Yes. For pediatric populations, practices may identify children and youth with special health care needs who are defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Maternal and Child Health Bureau as children “who have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and who require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required generally.” 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 CM 01A (Pediatric Specific) Would temper tantrums as a behavioral health condition meet the intent of CM 01A?

Practices need to identify behavioral health-related criteria pertinent to their specific patient population such as a behavioral health diagnosis, substance use, a positive screening result from a standardized behavioral health screen, or psychiatric hospitalizations. If the practice feels that patients with temper tantrums is an identifier for patients in need of care management, the practice can use that defining criteria.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 AC 02 (Pediatric Specific) If a pediatric practice has extra appointments based on the season [in the summer for physicals (prior to school starting) and has extra appointments in the winter for sick appointments] does this meet the criterion?

No, just having extra appointments based on the season would not meet the intent. The practice may have more same day appointments offered during these high-volume time periods but some same day appointments should be provided daily throughout the year.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 TC 03 (Pediatric Specific) What are some examples of PCMH-oriented collaborative activities for pediatric practices?

Pediatric practices may want to look into quality improvement projects offered by state AAP chapters and national AAP. The AAP QI Webpage lists a variety of opportunities: https://www.aap.org/en-us/professional-resources/quality-improvement/Pages/ActivityList.aspx

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

6.14.2018 KM 02G (Pediatric Specific) What are some examples of social determinants of health for children?

Social determinants of health include things like poverty, food insecurity, poor housing quality or homelessness, unstable neighborhoods, and parental dysfunction (e.g., domestic violence, mental illness, etc.).

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.29.2018 QI 06 Does the CAHPS PCMH Survey meet both QI 04 and QI 06?

The CAHPS PCMH Survey meets the requirement for QI 06 but only partially meets QI 04. The CAHPS PCMH Survey only meets the quantitative data requirement (QI 04A) for this criterion.  
 

Note: No modifications to the survey questions or length may be made. 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.29.2018 CC 04B How do practices document providing pertinent demographic and clinical information to a specialist if they use the same EHR?

Practices must provide a documented process for staff to follow to ensure that demographic and clinical data are available for the specialist, and either a report/log or an example showing that the process is followed (e.g., a screen shot of available information and how the information is made available to the specialist). If external referrals are made, the practice must specify the process for sharing information with those providers, as well. 

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.29.2018 QI 06 Are practices required to use an NCQA-Certified survey vendor to administer CAHPS PCMH?

No, practices are not required to use an NCQA-Certified survey vendor.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.29.2018 QI 04A Are practices required to use the CAHPS PCMH survey to meet this requirement?

No. Practices may use any patient experience survey that includes questions related to three of the four categories specified in the standards (access; communication; coordination; whole-person care, self-management support and comprehensiveness).

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017

5.29.2018 CM 04 Does a clinical summary meet the requirement for a “plan of care”?

If the clinical summary also includes the details of the patient’s care plan (i.e., information outlined in the criterion guidance), then it would meet the requirement. A clinical summary alone that does not include the patient’s care plan information would not meet the requirement.

This applies to the following Programs and Years:
PCMH 2017