This article series is our monthly tool to help you maximizepatient health outcomes in accordance with NCQA?s¹ HEDIS^®2measurements for high-quality care on important dimensions ofservices.

HEDIS^® definitions

• Avoidance of Antibiotic Treatment in Adults with AcuteBronchitis (AAB): The percentage of Commercial and Medicaidmembers 18 to 64 years with a diagnosis of AAB who were notdispensed an antibiotic prescription within three days of visit date.
• Appropriate Treatment for Children with upper respiratoryinfection (URI): The percentage of children 3 months to 18 yearswho were given a diagnosis of URI and were not dispensed anantibiotic prescription within three days of visit date.

Educational resources

Educating your patients on the proper usage of antibiotics and thelong-term risks of antibiotic resistance is critical to improving thesemeasures. To help, here are links to resources from the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention for you and your patients:

• For providers:www.cdc.gov/getsmart/campaign-materials/treatment-guidelines.html.
• For patients: www.cdc.gov/getsmart/specific-groups/everyone.html.

Quick tips for improvement

• ✔The 3-Day Rule: Follow up withpatients three days after the initialvisit to discuss treatment options ifsymptom relief has not occurred.
• ✔The Poster Board Pledge: Recentstudies have shown that displayingposter-sized commitment letters inexam rooms to avoid inappropriateantibiotic prescribing was a simple,low-cost, and effective method forimprovement.
? JAMA Internal Medicine
• ✔Coding 101: If your patient hascomorbidities, bacterial infections,or competing diagnoses, thestandard codes for AAB and URImay not be applicable.

Send us yourfeedback

If you have feedback aboutthe Highlighting HEDIS^®series or you have topicideas, please email us.

¹ The National Committee for Quality Assurance(NCQA) is the most widely recognized accreditationprogram in the U.S.

² The Healthcare Effectiveness Data and InformationSet (HEDIS) is an NCQA tool used by more than 90percent of U.S. health plans to measure performanceon important dimensions of care.

HEDIS is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Used with permission.