Measure Description
Percentage of patients aged 18 years and older with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for whom a functional status assessment was performed at least once within 12 months
Instructions
This measure is to be submitted a minimum of once per performance period for patients with RA seen during the performance period. It is anticipated that Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligible clinicians who provide care for patients with a diagnosis of RA will submit this measure.
NOTE: Patient encounters for this measure conducted via telehealth (e.g., encounters coded with GQ, GT, 95, or POS 02 modifiers) are allowable.
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 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, M05.7A, 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, M05.8A, 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, M06.0A, 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, M06.8A, 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): 99202, 99203, 99204, 99205, 99212, 99213, 99214, 99215, 99341, 99342, 99343, 99344, 99345, 99347, 99348, 99349, 99350, G0402
Numerator
Patients for whom a functional status assessment using an ACR-preferred, patient-reported functional status assessment tool was performed at least once within 12 months
Definitions:
Functional Status Assessment – This measure assesses if physicians are using a standardized tool to assess the impact of RA on patient activities of daily living. Functional status should be assessed using one of the following ACR-preferred tools to fulfill the measure requirements:
- PROMIS Physical Function 10-item (PROMIS PF10a)
- Health Assessment Questionnaire-II (HAQ-II)
- Multi-Dimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MD-HAQ)
Numerator Options:
Performance Met: Functional status assessed (1170F)
OR
Performance Not Met: Functional status not assessed, reason not otherwise specified (1170F with 8P)
Rationale
Functional limitations are a significant and disruptive complication for patients living with RA. Assessments of functional limitations are used to assess prognosis and guide treatment and therapy decisions. According to the ACR’s RA treatment guidelines, functional status assessment using a standardized, validated measure should be performed routinely for RA patients, at least once per year, but more frequently if disease is active.
Clinical Recommendation Statements
The management of RA is an iterative process, and patients should be routinely reassessed for evidence of disease or limitation of function with significant alteration of joint anatomy. Baseline evaluation of disease activity and damage in patients with rheumatoid arthritis through evaluation of functional status or quality of life assessments using standardized questionnaires, a physician’s global assessment of disease activity, or patient’s global assessment of disease activity. The initial evaluation of the patient with RA should document symptoms of active disease (i.e., presence of joint pain, duration of morning stiffness, degree of fatigue), functional status, objective evidence of disease activity (i.e., synovitis, as assessed by tender and swollen joint counts, and the ESR or CRP level), and mechanical joint problems.
At each follow up visit, the physician must assess whether the disease is active or inactive. Symptoms of inflammatory (as contrasted with mechanical) joint disease, which include prolonged morning stiffness, duration of fatigue, and active synovitis on joint examination, indicate active disease and necessitate consideration of changing the treatment program. Occasionally, findings of the joint examination alone may not adequately reflect disease activity and structural damage; therefore, periodic measurements of the ESR or CRP level and regular assessments of functional status, as well as periodic radiographic examinations of involved joints should be performed. It is important to determine whether a decline in function is the result of inflammation, mechanical damage, or both; treatment strategies will differ accordingly. (ACR, 2002)
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 patient-reported functional status assessments tools are valid, reliable, and responsive, and feasible to implement in routine clinical practice, resulting in three ACR-preferred functional status assessment tools (cite: https://www.rheumatology.org/Portals/0/Files/2019-ACR-Recommended-Patient-Reported-Functional-Status-Assessment-Measures-in-Rheumatoid-Arthritis.pdf).