HEDIS antidepressant medication management measures and performance-based measures: an opportunity for improvement in depression care.

ABSTRACT

Using the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS), the National Committee for Quality Assurance partners with more than 90% of the nation's managed care organizations to collect, audit, and report performance on a range of standardized healthcare quality measures. Many HEDIS measures have been useful in promoting population health, such as rate of beta-blocker use after myocardial infarction or rate of cervical cancer screening. Other measures, such as those for Antidepressant Medication Management (AMM), have been less successful. Several trends are occurring within behavioral health management that attempt to improve depression treatment outcomes, including the implementation of performance-based initiatives using the HEDIS AMM measures and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Ultimately, linking quality measures to clinical strategies is critical for achieving successful depression treatment outcomes.