Measure Description
Percentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have an assessment of disease activity using an ACR-preferred RA disease activity assessment tool at ≥50% of encounters for RA for each patient during the measurement year
Instructions
This measure is to be submitted a minimum of once per performance period for patients with a diagnosis of RA seen during the performance period. This measure may be submitted by Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians who perform the quality actions described in the measure based on the services provided and the measure-specific denominator coding.
Measure Submission Type:
Measure data may be submitted by individual MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, or third party intermediaries. The listed denominator criteria are used to identify the intended patient population. The numerator options included in this specification are used to submit the quality actions as allowed by the measure. The quality-data codes listed do not need to be submitted by MIPS eligible clinicians, groups, or third party intermediaries that utilize this modality for submissions; however, these codes may be submitted for those third party intermediaries that utilize Medicare Part B claims data. For more information regarding Application Programming Interface (API), please refer to the Quality Payment Program (QPP) website.
Denominator
Patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of RA
Denominator Criteria (Eligible Cases):
Patients aged ≥ 18 years on date of encounter
AND
Diagnosis for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (ICD-10-CM): M05.00, M05.011, M05.012, M05.019, M05.021, M05.022, M05.029, M05.031, M05.032, M05.039, M05.041, M05.042, M05.049, M05.051, M05.052, M05.059, M05.061, M05.062, M05.069, M05.071, M05.072, M05.079, M05.09, M05.10, M05.111, M05.112, M05.119, M05.121, M05.122, M05.129, M05.131, M05.132, M05.139, M05.141, M05.142, M05.149, M05.151, M05.152, M05.159, M05.161, M05.162, M05.169, M05.171, M05.172, M05.179, M05.19, M05.20, M05.211, M05.212, M05.219, M05.221, M05.222, M05.229, M05.231, M05.232, M05.239, M05.241, M05.242, M05.249, M05.251, M05.252, M05.259, M05.261, M05.262, M05.269, M05.271, M05.272, M05.279, M05.29, M05.30, M05.311, M05.312, M05.319, M05.321, M05.322, M05.329, M05.331, M05.332, M05.339, M05.341, M05.342, M05.349, M05.351, M05.352, M05.359, M05.361, M05.362, M05.369, M05.371, M05.372, M05.379, M05.39, M05.40, M05.411, M05.412, M05.419, M05.421, M05.422, M05.429, M05.431, M05.432, M05.439, M05.441, M05.442, M05.449, M05.451, M05.452, M05.459, M05.461, M05.462, M05.469, M05.471, M05.472, M05.479, M05.49, M05.50, M05.511, M05.512, M05.519, M05.521, M05.522, M05.529, M05.531, M05.532, M05.539, M05.541, M05.542, M05.549, M05.551, M05.552, M05.559, M05.561, M05.562, M05.569, M05.571, M05.572, M05.579, M05.59, M05.60, M05.611, M05.612, M05.619, M05.621, M05.622, M05.629, M05.631, M05.632, M05.639, M05.641, M05.642, M05.649, M05.651, M05.652, M05.659, M05.661, M05.662, M05.669, M05.671, M05.672, M05.679, M05.69, M05.70, M05.711, M05.712, M05.719, M05.721, M05.722, M05.729, M05.731, M05.732, M05.739, M05.741, M05.742, M05.749, M05.751, M05.752, M05.759, M05.761, M05.762, M05.769, M05.771, M05.772, M05.779, M05.79, M05.80, M05.811, M05.812, M05.819, M05.821, M05.822, M05.829, M05.831, M05.832, M05.839, M05.841, M05.842, M05.849, M05.851, M05.852, M05.859, M05.861, M05.862, M05.869, M05.871, M05.872, M05.879, M05.89, M05.9, M06.00, M06.011, M06.012, M06.019, M06.021, M06.022, M06.029, M06.031, M06.032, M06.039, M06.041, M06.042, M06.049, M06.051, M06.052, M06.059, M06.061, M06.062, M06.069, M06.071, M06.072, M06.079, M06.08, M06.09, M06.20, M06.211, M06.212, M06.219, M06.221, M06.222, M06.229, M06.231, M06.232, M06.239, M06.241, M06.242, M06.249, M06.251, M06.252, M06.259, M06.261, M06.262, M06.269, M06.271, M06.272, M06.279, M06.28, M06.29, M06.30, M06.311, M06.312, M06.319, M06.321, M06.322, M06.329, M06.331, M06.332, M06.339, M06.341, M06.342, M06.349, M06.351, M06.352, M06.359, M06.361, M06.362, M06.369, M06.371, M06.372, M06.379, M06.38, M06.39, M06.80, M06.811, M06.812, M06.819, M06.821, M06.822, M06.829, M06.831, M06.832, M06.839, M06.841, M06.842, M06.849, M06.851, M06.852, M06.859, M06.861, M06.862, M06.869, M06.871, M06.872, M06.879, M06.88, M06.89, M06.9
AND
Patient encounter during the performance period (CPT or HCPCS): 99201, 99202, 99203, 99204, 99205, 99212, 99213, 99214, 99215, 99341, 99342, 99343, 99344, 99345, 99347, 99348, 99349, 99350, G0402
WITHOUT
Telehealth Modifier: GQ, GT, 95, POS 02
Numerator
Patients with disease activity assessed by an ACR-preferred rheumatoid arthritis disease activity measurement tool ≥50% of total number of outpatient RA encounters in the measurement year
Definition:
Assessment of Disease Activity – Assesses if physicians are utilizing a standardized, systematic approach for evaluating the level of disease activity for each patient at least for ≥50% of total number of outpatient RA encounters. The scales/instruments listed are the ACR-preferred tools that should be used:
- Clinical Disease Activity Index (CDAI)
- Disease Activity Score with 28-joint counts (erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C-reactive protein) (DAS-28)
- Patient Activity Score-II (PAS-II)
- Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data with 3 measures (RAPID 3)
- Simplified Disease Activity Index (SDAI)
A result within the range of the selected tool qualifies for meeting numerator performance as long as a result is captured at ≥50% of each patient’s qualified encounters.
Numerator Options:
Performance Met: ≥50% of total number of a patient’s outpatient RA encounters assessed (M1007)
OR
Performance Not Met: Disease activity not assessed, reason not given (M1006)
OR
Performance Not Met: <50% of total number of a patient’s outpatient RA encounters assessed (M1008)
Rationale
After establishing a diagnosis of RA, risk assessment is crucial for guiding optimal treatment. For the purposes of selecting therapies, physicians should consider the patient’s disease activity at the time of the treatment decisions.
Clinical Recommendation Statements
The ACR guidelines for treating both early and established RA patients strongly recommend using a treat-to-target strategy, with the ideal target as low disease activity or remission, as determined by the clinician and the patient. In order to accomplish this, a key principle of the guideline states that disease activity measurement using an ACRrecommended measure should be performed in a majority of encounters for RA patients. (cite: Singh, J.A., Saag, K. G., Bridges, S. L., Akl. E. A., Bannuru, R. R., Sullivan, M. C., et al. (2016), 2015 American College of Rheumatology Guideline for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Arthritis Care & Research, 68: 1 -25. doi:10.1002/acr.22783) This is based on evidence showing that regular disease activity assessment facilitates achieving low disease activity states. (cite: Grigor C, Capell H, Stirling A, McMahon AD, Lock P, Vallance R, et al. Effect of a treatment strategy of tight control for rheumatoid arthritis (the TICORA study): a single blind randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2004;364:263 -9.) The ACR also conducted an extensive multi-year project, involving systematic literature reviews, expert consensus ratings, and national surveys to reach consensus on which RA disease activity measures are valid, reliable, and responsive, and feasible to implement in routine clinical practice, resulting in five ACR-preferred disease activity tools. (cite: publication pending).