(NCQA: Washington) -- Two new measures focusing on obesity in children and adults highlight the additions to the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, released recently for public comment by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Two other additions to the 2009 edition of HEDIS focus on care for older adults.

The estimated annual cost of obesity in the United States is $117 billion. Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. Assessments of body mass index (BMI), or the ratio between a person’s weight and height, have been found to be more useful in predicting health risks than measuring weight alone. The new measures will assess how consistently physicians perform BMI assessments among adults and children; the measure for children also tracks counseling for nutrition and physical activity.

“The alarming rise in obesity rates in recent years has serious public health implications for the future. We need a comprehensive strategy for addressing obesity and NCQA is committed to playing a leading role,” says Margaret E. O’Kane, NCQA president. “Patient awareness is the first step for anyone to address obesity, and these measures look at how often patients receive needed screenings and support.”

Two additional measures proposed for HEDIS 2009 address care for older adults. By 2030, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that one in five Americans will be over 65, highlighting the importance of high-quality care for the older population. These measures address pain screening, functional status assessment, medications review and reconciliation, and advance care planning.

“Older patients often see several physicians in the course of a year, and that can lead to gaps in care,” adds O’Kane. “We know that many of our senior citizens don’t receive pain screenings, medication reviews or other basic services that can make a real difference in their care and quality of life.”

Another proposed addition to HEDIS, “Immunization for Adolescents,” assesses immunization rates with a focus on vaccines appropriate for the adolescent population. NCQA also seeks comments on its proposal to change a number of existing measures, including implementation of the CAHPS Health Plan Survey 4.0H for children.

Members of the public are invited to comment on the measures through March 14. Details and instructions are available on NCQA’s web site at www.ncqa.org. Public comment will inform the final version of the measures to be presented to NCQA’s Committee on Performance Measurement and board of directors. Final measures will be released later this summer. Data for new HEDIS measures will be collected in 2009 and publicly reported in 2010.


For more information, visit www.ncqa.org/tabid/662/Default.aspx.