Quality improvement in neurology: AAN Parkinson disease quality measures
Report of the Quality Measurement and Reporting Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology 
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Abstract
Background: Measuring the quality of health care is a fundamental step toward improving health care and is increasingly used in pay-for-performance initiatives and maintenance of certification requirements. Measure development to date has focused on primary care and common conditions such as diabetes; thus, the number of measures that apply to neurologic care is limited. The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) identified the need for neurologists to develop measures of neurologic care and to establish a process to accomplish this.
Objective: To adapt and test the feasibility of a process for independent development by the AAN of measures for neurologic conditions for national measurement programs.
Methods: A process that has been used nationally for measure development was adapted for use by the AAN. Topics for measure development are chosen based upon national priorities, available evidence base from a systematic literature search, gaps in care, and the potential impact for quality improvement. A panel composed of subject matter and measure development methodology experts oversees the development of the measures. Recommendation statements and their corresponding level of evidence are reviewed and considered for development into draft candidate measures. The candidate measures are refined by the expert panel during a 30-day public comment period and by review by the American Medical Association for Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) II codes. All final AAN measures are approved by the AAN Board of Directors.
Results: Parkinson disease (PD) was chosen for measure development. A review of the medical literature identified 258 relevant recommendation statements. A 28-member panel approved 10 quality measures for PD that included full specifications and CPT II codes.
Conclusion: The AAN has adapted a measure development process that is suitable for national measurement programs and has demonstrated its capability to independently develop quality measures.
Footnotes
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- AAN
- American Academy of Neurology
- ABPN
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology
- AMA
- American Medical Association
- CPT II
- Current Procedural Terminology
- PCPI
- Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement
- PD
- Parkinson disease
- PMAG
- Performance Measurement Advisory Group
- PQRI
- Physician Quality Reporting Initiative
- QMR
- Quality Measurement and Reporting Subcommittee
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Supplemental data at www.neurology.org
Parkinson disease measurement set approved by the AAN Parkinson Disease Measure Development Panel on December 11, 2009; by the Quality Measurement and Reporting Subcommittee on December 15, 2009; by the Practice Committee on December 15, 2009; and by the AAN Board of Directors on December 21, 2009.
Quality Measurement and Reporting Subcommittee members are listed in appendix e-1 on the Neurology® Web site at www.neurology.org.
- Received May 24, 2010.
- Accepted September 10, 2010.
- Copyright © 2010 by AAN Enterprises, Inc.
Disputes & Debates: Rapid online correspondence
- Re:Quality improvement in neurology: AAN Parkinson disease quality measures
- Howard D. Weiss, Chernow Clinical Scholar in Neurology and Director of the Parkinson disease program, Sinai Hospital of Baltimorehowdyweiss@aol.com
Submitted December 30, 2011 - Quality improvement in neurology: AAN Parkinson disease quality measures
- Stephen G. Reich, Neurologist, University of Marylandsreich@som.umaryland.edu
Submitted March 28, 2011 - Reply from the author
- Eric M. Cheng, AAN, 1080 Montreal Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55116quality@aan.com
Submitted March 28, 2011
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