Respiratory: Asthma

This process measure seeks to capture follow up after asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits for children with asthma after discharge from the ED, as recommended by the NHLBI 2007 guidelines. This measure assesses the percentage of asthma-related ED visits for children ages 3-21 with a follow-up visit with a primary care clinician or an asthma subspecialist within 14 days of discharge from the ED, within the reporting year, for patients who are enrolled in the health plan for two consecutive months following the ED visit. 

The percentage of patients 2 years or older with asthma who have a refill for a short-acting beta agonist in the past 12 months.

Percentage of patients who were evaluated during at least one office visit for the frequency (numeric) of daytime and nocturnal asthma symptoms

Percentage of patients with asthma who have greater than or equal to one visit to the emergency room for asthma during the measurement period.

Use of systemic corticosteroids in pediatric asthma patients (age 2 through 17 years) admitted for inpatient treatment of asthma. This measure is a part of a set of three nationally implemented measures that address children’s asthma care (CAC-1: Relievers for Inpatient Asthma, CAC-3: Home Management Plan of Care (HMPC) Document Given to Parent/Caregiver) that are used in The Joint Commission’s accreditation process.

This measure assesses the proportion of pediatric asthma patients discharged from an inpatient hospital stay with a Home Management Plan of Care (HMPC) document in place. This measure is one of a set of three nationally implemented measures that address children’s asthma care (CAC-1: Relievers for Inpatient Asthma, and CAC-2: Systemic Corticosteroids for Inpatient Asthma) that are used in The Joint Commission’s accreditation process.

Percentage of patients for whom there is documentation that a written asthma management plan was provided either to the patient or the patient’s caregiver OR, at a minimum, specific written instructions on under what conditions the patient’s doctor should be contacted or the patient should go to the emergency room

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.

The risk-adjusted relative resource use by health plan members with asthma during the measurement year.

Rate 1 (SAC): The percentage of patients aged 5-50 years as of the last day of the measurement year with persistent asthma who were dispensed more than 3 canisters of a short-acting beta2 agonist inhaler during the same 90-day period.

Rate 2 (ACT): The percentage of patients aged 5-50 years as of the last day of the measurement year with persistent asthma who were dispensed more than 3 canisters of short-acting beta2 agonist inhalers over a 90-day period and who did not receive controller therapy during the same 90-day period.