Diabetes/Pre-diabetes screening for patients with DSP

Measure Purpose: Improve care through early intervention and control of diabetes in DSP patients

The numerator: Patients who had screening tests for diabetes (eg, fasting blood sugar test, hemoglobin A1C, or a 2-hour Glucose Tolerance Test) reviewed, requested, or ordered when seen for an initial evaluation for distal symmetric polyneuropathy

is divided by

The denominator: All patients age 18 years and older with a diagnosis of distal symmetric polyneuropathy

Exceptions are removed from the denominator for:

•  Patient has a diagnosis of diabetes
• Patient has a known medical condition to cause neuropathy
• Patient had previous diabetes screening
• Patient declines to undergo testing
• Patient does not have insurance to pay for testing

Key Phrases

Examples of key phrases you could use to meet the measure:

• Fasting blood sugar test (results reviewed, or requested, or ordered)
• Hemoglobin A1c (results reviewed, or requested, or ordered)
• 2-hour glucose tolerance test (results reviewed, or requested, or ordered)

Measure Calculation Example

Dr. Gagnon had 43 patients over the age of 18 seen for an initial evaluation for distal symmetric polyneuropathy from January 1 through December 31. This is the denominator. Three patients had a diagnosis of diabetes and one declined to undergo testing. These four patients are removed from the denominator.

Of the remaining 39 patients, 21 had screening for diabetes reviewed and three had a screening for diabetes ordered when they were seen for their initial evaluation of DSP. This is the numerator.

Quality of care = (21+3)/(43-4). Dr. Gagnon has a score of 61% for this measure.