The percentage of patients 5-64 years of age during the measurement year who were identified as having persistent asthma and were dispensed appropriate medications that they remained on during the treatment period. Two rates are reported.
1. The percentage of patients who remained on an asthma controller medication for at least 50% of their treatment period.
2. The percentage of patients who remained on an asthma controller medication for at least 75% of their treatment period.
Measure Specs
General Information
Numerator
Numerator 1 (Medication Adherence 50%): The number of patients who achieved a PDC* of at least 50% for their asthma controller medications during the measurement year. A higher rate is better.
Numerator 2 (Medication Adherence 75%): The number of patients who achieved a PDC* of at least 75% for their asthma controller medications during the measurement year. A higher rate is better.
*PDC is the proportion of days covered by at least one asthma controller medication prescription, divided by the number of days in the treatment period. The treatment period is the period of time beginning on the earliest prescription dispensing date for any asthma controller medication during the measurement year through the last day of the measurement year.
Denominator
All patients 5–64 years of age as of December 31 of the measurement year who have persistent asthma by meeting at least one of the following criteria during both the measurement year and the year prior to the measurement year:
• At least one emergency department visit with asthma as the principal diagnosis
• At least one acute inpatient claim/encounter with asthma as the principal diagnosis
• At least four outpatient visits or observation visits on different dates of service, with any diagnosis of asthma AND at least two asthma medication dispensing events. Visit type need not be the same for the four visits.
• At least four asthma medication dispensing events
Exclusions
1) Exclude patients who had any of the following diagnoses any time during the patient’s history through the end of the measurement year (e.g., December 31):
-COPD
-Emphysema
-Obstructive Chronic Bronchitis
-Chronic Respiratory Conditions Due To Fumes/Vapors
-Cystic Fibrosis
-Acute Respiratory Failure
2) Exclude any patients who had no asthma controller medications dispensed during the measurement year.
Measure Record
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