July 11, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is holding a public comment period to respond to recently revised scientific guidelines. NCQA invites the public to comment on Colorectal Cancer Screening, a 2017 Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) measure. NCQA proposes updating the screening methods included in this measure to align with recommendations in the 2016 US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement on Screening for Colorectal Cancer.
Proposed revisions to the measure are reviewed by our advisory panels, per our development process, and are being considered for the HEDIS 2017 Technical Specifications Update.
This public comment session will be an opportunity for health plans, purchasers, consumers and other stakeholders to weigh in on the relevance, scientific soundness and feasibility of the measure. The public comment session will begin at 12:00 PM (EDT) on July 13 and will end at 11:59 PM (EDT) on August 10.
About HEDIS and Public Comment
HEDIS comprises measures of clinical quality and patient experience that are based on published clinical guidelines and published scientific evidence. When clinical guidelines change or new evidence becomes available in the scientific literature, NCQA reviews HEDIS measures to determine whether changes may be needed. NCQA convenes multi-stakeholder advisory groups—including independent scientists, clinicians, consumers and purchasers—to ensure that the measures meet and balance the high standards of relevance, scientific soundness and feasibility.
An important part of developing and updating HEDIS is to provide the opportunity for the public to review and comment on draft measures. NCQA reviews every comment received during public comment and presents results to its multi-stakeholder advisory groups and the NCQA Committee on Performance Measurement for deliberation.
NCQA’s HEDIS measures do not constitute clinical practice guidelines, nor should they be used to determine insurance or coverage.
How to Participate in Public Comment
To read and comment on the proposed changes, visit https://www.ncqa.org/homepage/ncqa-public-comments from July 13 through August 10. The public comment period begins at 12:00 PM (EDT) on July 13 and ends at 11:59 PM (EDT) on August 10. NCQA will review input from public comment and will consider any approved changes to the Colorectal Cancer Screening measure for HEDIS 2017, Volume 2, in the October Technical Update.