Follow-Up After Hospitalization for Mental Illness (FUH)

HEDIS Measure

Follow-Up After Hospitalization for Mental Illness (FUH)

Line of business: Commercial Medicaid Medicare

Data Collection Method: Administrative (Claims)

Measure Description

The percentage of discharges for members 6 years of age and older who were hospitalized for treatment of selected mental illness or intentional self-harm diagnoses and who had a follow-up visit with a mental health provider.

Two rates are reported:

• The percentage of discharges for which the member received follow-up within 30 days after discharge.
• The percentage of discharges for which the member received follow-up within 7 days after discharge.

Numerator Compliance

30-Day Follow-Up - A follow-up visit with a mental health provider within 30 days after discharge. Do not include visits that occur on the date of discharge.

7-Day Follow-Up - A follow-up visit with a mental health provider within 7 days after discharge. Do not include visits that occur on the date of discharge.

For both indicators, any of the following meet criteria for a follow-up visit:

• Outpatient, BH outpatient visit, intensive outpatient encounter, partial hospitalization, community mental health center visit with a mental health provider.
• Electroconvulsive therapy
• Telehealth, telephone or observation visit, or transitional care management services with a mental health provider.
• Visit in a behavioral healthcare setting
• Psychiatric collaborative care management

Best Practices

• Educate patients and caregivers on the importance of follow-up to reduce the risk of inpatient admission.
• Discuss the importance of seeking follow-up with a mental health provider
• Train staff on the “Teach Back Method” to ensure patients and caregivers review and understand discharge instructions and the next steps in their care for follow–up
• Develop outreach systems or assign case managers to encourage recently released patients to keep follow-up appointments or reschedule missed appointments.
• Outreach patients who do not keep initial follow-up appointments
• Set flags if available in EHR or develop tracking method for patients due or past due for follow-up after discharge visits and require staff to follow up with patients that miss or cancel their appointment
• Coordinate care with behavioral health practitioners by sharing progress notes and updates

Quality Value Set Directory Coding Tips

Ambulatory Surgical Center POS

Behavioral Healthcare Setting

BH Outpatient

Community Mental Health Center POS

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Observation

Outpatient POS

Partial Hospitalization or Intensive Outpatient

Partial Hospitalization POS

Psychiatric Collaborative Care Management

Telehealth POS

Telephone Visits

Transitional Care Management Services

Visit Setting Unspecified