Continuous Improvement and the Expansion of Quality ... - NCQA

M E A S U R E S T A R G E T E D A T C H I l D R E N A N D A D o l E S C E N T S
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• Mental illness accounts for more burden
from disease than all forms of cancer
combined. 3
N AT I o N A l C o M M I T T E E f o R Q U A l I T y A S S U R A N C E
folloW-UP AfTER HoSPITAlIzATIoN
foR MENTAl IllNESS
Mental illness affects about 1 in 4 adults, and approximately 15 million adults in the United
States suffer from a serious mental illness. 1,2 less than half of adults with a serious mental illness
receive treatment or counseling. 2 The Follow-Up After Hospitalization for Mental Illness measure
assesses whether patients 6 years of age and older who were hospitalized for treatment of
selected mental health disorders were seen by a mental health provider.
• The World Health organization has
reported that 4 of the 10 leading causes of
disability in the U.S. and other developed
countries are mental disorders. by 2020,
it is expected that mental illness will be the
leading cause of disability in the world for
women and children. 4
• Half of first-time psychiatric patients were
readmitted within two years of hospital
discharge; appropriate follow-up care
is known to reduce the risk of repeat
hospitalization. 5,6
the Case for Improvement
• The economic burden of serious mental
illness is estimated at $317 billion dollars
and includes the cost of health services,
loss of earning and disability benefits. 7
• Suicide is the 11th leading cause of
death in the U.S., accounting for 30,000
deaths each year, and could be caused by
untreated depression. 8
• In 2008, 30 million adults received
treatment for mental health problems. 9 In
2005, more than 2 million patients were
discharged from a hospital with a mental
disorder. 10
HEdIs Measure definition
The percentage of discharges for members
6 years of age and older who were
hospitalized for treatment of selected mental
health disorders and who had an outpatient
visit, an intensive outpatient encounter or
partial hospitalization with a mental health
practitioner. The measure separately identifies
the percentage of members who received
follow-up within 7 and 30 days of discharge.
results
Proper follow-up treatment for psychiatric
hospitalization can lead to improved quality
of life for patients, families and society as a
whole.