Unhealthy Alcohol Use Screening and Follow-Up (ASF-E)
HEDIS Measure
Unhealthy Alcohol Use Screening and Follow-Up (ASF-E)
Line of business: Commercial Medicaid Medicare
Data Collection Method:
Administrative (Claims)
Supplemental Data Submission
- Standard - Electronic Clinical Data System (ECDS) Layout
Measure Description
The percentage of members 18 years of age and older who were screened for unhealthy alcohol use using a standardized instrument and, if screened positive, received appropriate follow-up care.
Unhealthy Alcohol Use Screening. The percentage of members who had a systematic screening for unhealthy alcohol use.
Follow-Up Care on Positive Screen. The percentage of members receiving brief counseling or other follow-up care within 2 months of screening positive for unhealthy alcohol use.
Numerator Compliance
Numerator 1—Unhealthy Alcohol Use Screening
Members with a documented result for unhealthy alcohol use screening performed between January 1 and November 1 of the measurement period.
Numerator 2—Follow-Up Care on Positive Screen
Members receiving alcohol counseling or other follow-up care on or up to 60 days after the date of the first positive screen (61 days total).
Best Practices
- Educate the patient about the importance of follow-up and adherence to treatment recommendations
- Discuss the importance of timely, recommended follow-up visits
- Schedule follow-up appointments as soon as possible, particularly those patients recently discharged
- Coordinate care with behavioral health practitioners by sharing progress notes and updates
- Outreach patients who cancel appointments and assist them with rescheduling as soon as possible
- Consider telemedicine visit when in-person visits are not available
- Discuss the importance of seeking follow-up with a mental health provider
- Develop outreach internal team and/or assign care/case managers to members to ensure members keep follow-up appointments or reschedule missed appointments
- Set flags if available in EHR or develop tracking method for patients who may need screenings and follow-up visits
Quality Value Set Directory Coding Tips
75624-7 Total score [AUDIT]
The total score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) ranges from 0 to 40 and reflects the extent of alcohol involvement along a broad continuum of severity. Total scores of 8 or more suggest possible hazardous and harmful alcohol use.(WHO, 2012) Comments from patients about their drinking may provide the interviewer with information that can be valuable in the interpretation of the AUDIT total score.
75626-2 Total score [AUDIT-C]
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test C (AUDIT-C) is scored on a scale of 0-12 where the higher the score, the more likely the patient's drinking is hazardous. A score of 4 or more for men and 3 or more for women is considered positive for hazardous drinking or active alcohol use disorders. If the points are all from Question 1 alone where 2 and 3 are 0, it is likely the patient is drinking below recommended limits. The care provider may review the patients alcohol intake over that past few months to confirm accuracy.
75889-6 How often have you had four or more drinks in one day during the past year [Reported]
A question asked to determine if the patient is considered a ‘risky drinker’. This term was created for, but not limited in use to, an electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) to be used in the CMS EHR Incentive Program for Meaningful Use. The eCQM allows for multiple ways to screen for alcohol misuse, including AUDIT-C [LOINC:75626-2] or one of two questions that assess whether the patient consumes alcohol [LOINC:75855-7] and the frequency of heavy drinking days (this LOINC). The LOINC for five (5) or more drinks per day is [LOINC:88037-7].
88037-7 How often have you had five or more drinks in one day during the past year [Reported]
Some measures (like electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) used by CMS) define “risky drinker” differently based on gender: 4 or more drinks per day for women and 5 or more drinks per day for men. The LOINC for 4 or more drinks per day is [LOINC:75889-6].
Z71.41 Alcohol abuse counseling and surveillance of alcoholic