HEDIS for Hypertension

Date: 01/07/19

The Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS^®) measure for controlling high blood pressure is designed to assess how well adults with hypertension are managing their condition, as uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to heart attacks, stroke and kidney disease.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) recently updated the measure to reflect a new blood pressure target: below 140/90 mm Hg for adults ages 18 to 85 with a diagnosis of hypertension. The previous measure included a different target for older adults without diabetes.

In addition to updating the measure, NCQA will allow:

·         More administrative/claims based methods to collect the measure.

·         Blood pressure readings to be taken using remote patient monitoring devices.

·         Telehealth encounters to satisfy certain components of the measure.

To learn more about revisions to the high blood pressure measure, review the 2019 Summary of HEDIS Changes.