Substance Use

Medical Assistance with Smoking and Tobacco Cessation

he three components of this measure assess different facets of providing medical assistance with smoking and tobacco use cessation:
Advising Smokers and Tobacco Users to Quit: A rolling average represents the percentage of patients 18 years of age and older who are current smokers or tobacco users and who received advice to quit during the measurement year.
Discussing Cessation Medications: A rolling average represents the percentage of patients 18 years of age and older who are current smokers or tobacco users and who discussed or were recommended cessation medications during the measurement year.
Discussing Cessation Strategies: A rolling average represents the percentage of patients 18 years of age and older who are current smokers or tobacco users and who discussed or were provided cessation methods or strategies during the measurement year.

Date Reviewed: July 21, 2018

Initiation and Engagement of Alcohol and Other Drug Dependence Treatment

The percentage of adolescent and adult patients with a new episode of alcohol or other drug (AOD) dependence who received the following.
- Initiation of AOD Treatment. The percentage of patients who initiate treatment through an inpatient AOD admission, outpatient visit, intensive outpatient encounter or partial hospitalization within 14 days of the diagnosis.
- Engagement of AOD Treatment. The percentage of patients who initiated treatment and who had two or more additional services with a diagnosis of AOD within 30 days of the initiation visit.

Date Reviewed: July 21, 2018

SUB-3a Alcohol & Other Drug Use Disorder Treatment Provided or Offered at Discharge and SUB-3a Alcohol & Other Drug Use Disorder

The measure is reported as an overall rate which includes all hospitalized patients 18 years of age and older to whom alcohol or drug use disorder treatment was provided, or offered and refused, at the time of hospital discharge, and a second rate, a subset of the first, which includes only those patients who received alcohol or drug use disorder treatment at discharge. The Provided or Offered rate (SUB-3) describes patients who are identified with alcohol or drug use disorder who receive or refuse at discharge a prescription for FDA-approved medications for alcohol or drug use disorder, OR who receive or refuse a referral for addictions treatment. The Alcohol and Other Drug Disorder Treatment at Discharge (SUB-3a) rate describes only those who receive a prescription for FDA-approved medications for alcohol or drug use disorder OR a referral for addictions treatment. Those who refused are not included.

These measures are intended to be used as part of a set of 4 linked measures addressing Substance Use (SUB-1 Alcohol Use Screening ; SUB-2 Alcohol Use Brief Intervention Provided or Offered; SUB-3 Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorder Treatment Provided or Offered at Discharge; SUB-4 Alcohol and Drug Use: Assessing Status after Discharge [temporarily suspended]).

Date Reviewed: July 21, 2018

SUB-2 Alcohol Use Brief Intervention Provided or Offered and SUB 2a Alcohol Use Brief Intervention

The measure is reported as an overall rate which includes all hospitalized patients 18 years of age and older to whom a brief intervention was provided, or offered and refused, and a second rate, a subset of the first, which includes only those patients who received a brief intervention. The Provided or Offered rate (SUB-2), describes patients who screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use who received or refused a brief intervention during the hospital stay. The Alcohol Use Brief Intervention (SUB-2a) rate describes only those who received the brief intervention during the hospital stay. Those who refused are not included.

Date Reviewed: July 21, 2018

Sub-1 Alcohol Use Screening

Hospitalized patients 18 years of age and older who are screened within the first day of admission using a validated screening questionnaire for unhealthy alcohol use.

Date Reviewed: July 21, 2018

TOB-2 Tobacco use Treatment provided or Offered and the subset measure TOB-2a: Tobacco Use Treatment

The measure is reported as an overall rate which includes all hospitalized patients 18 years of age and older to whom tobacco use treatment was provided during the hospital stay, or offered and refused, and a second rate, a subset of the first, which includes only those patients who received tobacco use treatment during the hospital stay.

Date Reviewed: July 21, 2018

Tobacco Use: Screening & Cessation Intervention

Percentage of patients aged 18 years and older who were screened for tobacco use one or more times within 24 months AND who received cessation counseling intervention if identified as a tobacco user. 

Date Reviewed: November 19, 2017

Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Screening & Brief Counseling

Percentage of patients aged 18 years and older who were screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a systematic screening method at least once within the last 24 months AND who received brief counseling if identified as an unhealthy alcohol user.

Date Reviewed: November 19, 2017

Tobacco Use and Help with Quitting Among Adolescents

The percentage of adolescents 12 to 20 years of age with a primary care visit during the measurement year for whom tobacco use status was documented and received help with quitting if identified as a tobacco user.

Date Reviewed: November 19, 2017

Alcohol Screening and Follow-up for People with Serious Mental Illness

The percentage of patients 18 years and older with a serious mental illness, who were screened for unhealthy alcohol use and received brief counseling or other follow-up care if identified as an unhealthy alcohol user.
Note: The proposed health plan measure is adapted from an existing provider-level measure for the general population (NQF #2152: Preventive Care & Screening: Unhealthy Alcohol Use: Screening & Brief Counseling). It was originally endorsed in 2014 and is currently stewarded by the American Medical Association (AMA-PCPI).

Date Reviewed: July 21, 2018