Measure Description
All patients 18 and older prescribed opiates for longer than six weeks duration evaluated for risk of opioid misuse using a brief validated instrument (e.g. Opioid Risk Tool, SOAPP-R) or patient interview documented at least once during Opioid Therapy in the medical record
Instructions
This measure is to be submitted once per performance period for all patients being prescribed opioids for duration longer than six weeks during the performance period. There is no diagnosis associated with this measure. 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
All patients 18 and older prescribed opiates for longer than six weeks duration
Denominator Criteria (Eligible Cases):
Patients aged ≥ 18 years on date of encounter
AND
Patient encounter during the performance period (CPT): 99201, 99202, 99203, 99204, 99205, 99212, 99213, 99214, 99215, 99304, 99305, 99306, 99307, 99308, 99309, 99310, 99324, 99325, 99326, 99327, 99328, 99334, 99335, 99336, 99337, 99341, 99342, 99343, 99344, 99345, 99347, 99348, 99349, 99350
WITHOUT
Telehealth Modifier: GQ, GT, 95, POS 02
AND
Patients prescribed opiates for longer than six weeks: G9583
AND NOT
DENOMINATOR EXCLUSION:
Patients who were in hospice at any time during the performance period: M1022, M1025, or M1026
Numerator
Patients evaluated for risk of misuse of opiates by using a brief validated instrument (e.g., Opioid Risk Tool, Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain, revised (SOAPP-R)) or patient interview at least once during opioid therapy
Numerator Options:
Performance Met: Patient evaluated for risk of misuse of opiates by using a brief validated instrument (e.g., Opioid Risk Tool, SOAPP-R) or patient interviewed at least once during opioid therapy (G9584)
OR
Performance Not Met: Patient not evaluated for risk of misuse of opiates by using a brief validated instrument (e.g., Opioid Risk Tool, SOAPP-R) or patient not interviewed at least once during opioid therapy (G9585)
Rationale
A thorough history and physical examination, including an assessment of psychosocial factors and family history, is essential for adequate risk stratification. Implicit in the recommendation to conduct a comprehensive benefit-to-harm analysis is the recognition that an opioid trial may not be appropriate. Clinicians should obtain appropriate diagnostic tests to evaluate the underlying pain condition, and should consider whether the pain condition may be treated more effectively with non-opioid therapy rather than with continuous opioid therapy (COT).
Clinical Recommendation Statements
Before initiating COT, clinicians should conduct a history, physical examination and appropriate testing, including an assessment of risk of substance abuse, misuse, or addiction (strong recommendation, low-quality evidence).
Clinicians may consider a trial of COT as an option if chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is moderate or severe, pain is having an adverse impact on function or quality of life, and potential therapeutic benefits outweigh or are likely to outweigh potential harms (strong recommendation, low-quality evidence).
A benefit-to-harm evaluation including a history, physical examination, and appropriate diagnostic testing, should be performed and documented before and on an ongoing basis during COT (strong recommendation, low-quality evidence) (p. 115).
Tools that appear to have good content, face, and construct validity include the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP) Version 1, the revised SOAPP (SOAPP-R), the Opioid Risk Tool (ORT), and the Diagnosis, Intractability, Risk, Efficacy (DIRE) instrument (p.116).
Chou R, Fanciullo GJ, Fine PG, et al. Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Chronic Opioid Therapy in Chronic Noncancer Pain. J Pain 2009; 10(2):113-130.