With its focus on improving quality of life, advanced illness and/or post-acute care are distinct from care intended to cure an illness or condition, although it can be delivered concurrently with curative therapies. Advanced illness care focuses on medical care for people living with a serious illness. It aims to address the symptoms or stress related to the illness and improve the overall experience and/or quality of life for patients, caregivers, and family members. Advanced illness care may also include palliative and hospice care, which includes comprehensive care that addresses medical, emotional, spiritual, and social needs during the last stages of a person’s terminal illness.
Post-acute care includes medical or supportive care provided to individuals after leaving an acute care setting, such as a hospital, but they are not ready to return home. This includes rehabilitation and even palliative care services.
The Advanced Illness and Post-Acute Care committee considers measures that address post-acute care and advanced illness, including cancer and end-stage disease (e.g., end-stage renal disease). Subtopics may include advanced illness management, the assessment of physical, emotional, social, psychological, and spiritual aspects of care, access to and timeliness of care, patient and family experience with care, patient and family engagement, care planning, hospice care, palliative and end-of-life care, chemotherapy, rescue, and intensive care unit (ICU) care.
The proportion of hospice patients who received hospice visits from a Registered Nurse or Medical Social Worker (non-telephonically) associated with the measured hospice entity during at least two of the final three days of life.
Percentage of home health episodes of care during which the patient improved in ability to ambulate. This is a rate/proportion measure targeted at older adults with multiple chronic conditions during home health quality of care episodes.
Percentage of home health episodes of care during which the patient got better at bathing self. This is a rate/proportion measure targeted at elderly individuals with multiple chronic conditions during home health quality of care episodes.
Percentage of home health episodes of care during which the patient got better at getting in and out of bed. This is a rate/proportion measure targeted at elderly individuals with multiple chronic conditions during home health quality of care episodes.
Percentage of home health episodes of care during which the patient improved in ability to take their medicines correctly, by mouth. This is a rate/proportion measure targeted at elderly individuals with multiple chronic conditions during home health quality of care episodes.
This measure looks at the percentage of patient visits, regardless of patient age, with a diagnosis of cancer currently receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy in which pain intensity is quantified.
This eCQM is an episode-based measure. An episode is defined as each eligible encounter for patients with a diagnosis of cancer who are also currently receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy during the measurement period.
This measure looks at the percentage of patient visits, regardless of patient age, with a diagnosis of cancer currently receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy in which pain intensity is quantified. This measure is to be submitted at each denominator eligible visit occurring during the performance period for patients with a diagnosis of cancer who are seen during the performance period / measurement period. The time period for data collection is intended to be 12 consecutive months.
This measure looks at the percentage of visits for patients, regardless of age, with a diagnosis of cancer currently receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy who report having pain with a documented plan of care to address pain. This measure is to be submitted at each denominator eligible visit occurring during the performance period for patients with a diagnosis of cancer and in which pain is present who are seen during the performance period / measurement period. The time period for data collection is intended to be 12 consecutive months.