Current Activities: The Call for Measures for Phase 1 closed February 14 at 6:00pm ET.
The Opportunity
Behavioral health refers to a state of mental or emotional being and choices and actions that affect wellness, as defined in the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Behavioral Health Quality Framework (NBHQF).1 Behavioral health problems include substance abuse or misuse, alcohol and drug addiction, serious psychological distress, suicide, and mental and substance use disorders.
To date, NQF has endorsed a relatively small proportion of measures, approximately 45, specific to mental health or substance abuse. In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 26.4 percent of the population suffers from mental illness and substance abuse.2 While mental illness is prevalent throughout the general population, the substantial burden of disease is concentrated in the 6 percent who suffer from a serious mental illness. Such individuals are now dying 25 years earlier than the general population.3 Although most of the years of lost life can be attributed to medical illnesses, an individual’s mental health status has a significant impact on engagement in treatment of medical conditions, therapeutic response, and overall outcomes.4
About the Project
Phase 1 of this project began in November 2011.
Objectives
This two-fold project is aimed at endorsing measures for improving the delivery of behavioral health services, achieving better behavioral health outcomes, and improving the behavioral health of the U.S. population, especially those with mental illness and substance abuse.5
In Phase I, NQF seeks to endorse new individual and composite behavioral health measures of process, outcomes, and structure that serve as indicators of quality behavioral healthcare across all care delivery settings, including primary and specialty care. In Phase 2, NQF will seek to endorse more measures addressing additional gap areas identified in Phase 1. NQF-endorsed® standards relating to behavioral healthcare that are due for maintenance also will be reviewed in this phase.
NQF Process
Measures will be considered for NQF endorsement as national voluntary consensus standards based on the recommendations developed through NQF's formal Consensus Development Process (CDP) (version 1.9). This project involves the active participation of representatives from across a broad spectrum of healthcare stakeholders and will be guided by a Steering Committee.
Funding
This project is funded under a contract provided by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Related NQF Work
Before 2011, NQF endorsed 45 behavioral health-related quality measures including the areas of hospital psychiatric services, mental illness, and substance abuse. These measures were designed to improve the quality of care delivered to patients as part of a healthcare system or in inpatient or ambulatory settings.
List of Previously Endorsed Behavioral Health Measures (PDF)
Contact Information
For further information, contact Angela Franklin, JD, or Sarah Fanta, at 202-783-1300 or via email at behavioralhealth@qualityforum.org.
Footnote:
1 Delany PJ, Frank R. “National Behavioral Health Quality Framework Improving Health Outcomes.” Presentation to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Advisory Councils; August 16, 2011. Available at http://store.samhsa.gov/product/National-Behavioral-Health-Quality-Framework-Improving-Health-Outcomes-Presentation-to-SAMHSA-Advisory-Councils/SMA11-PDELANY081611. Last accessed November 2011.
2 World Health Organization (WHO), Atlas: Psychiatric Education and Training across the World 2005, Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 2005. Available at www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/Atlas_training_final.pdf. Last accessed November 2011.
3 Parks J, Radke A, Mazade NA, Measurement of Health Status for People with Serious Mental Illness. Alexandria, VA :National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors; 2008. Available at www.nasmhpd.org/general_files/publications/med_directors_pubs/NASMHPD%20Medical%20Directors%20Health%20Indicators%20Report%2011-19-08.pdf. Last accessed October 2011.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
This two-fold project is aimed at establishing national priorities for improving the delivery of behavioral health services, achieving better behavioral health outcomes, and improving the behavioral health of the U.S. population, especially those with mental illness and substance abuse.
NQF sought a wide
range of stakeholder perspectives to provide expertise on behavioral health measures.
The Call for Nominations
for Steering Committee members closed on December 13, 2011. To learn more about the selection process, please refer to the Call for Nominations. (PDF)
The 14-day review period for submitted nominees closed on
February 2, 2012. Members and the public were able to provide feedback on
the proposed roster and potential vacancies in expertise.
The Call for Candidate Standards will be handled in two phases. The first phase closed February 14, 2012.
This project includes maintenance review of 45 consensus standards in Phase 2. As a part of the maintenance review process, NQF will be seeking comments on the implementation and use of these measures, particularly all stakeholders’ experiences with the measures.
A measure developer webinar was held on December 16, 2011. This meeting was open to NQF members and the public.
The Steering Committee is expected to begin meeting in February 2012 to evaluate the submissions and prepare the draft report.
Behavioral Health Phase 1 Measures
The draft report for Phase 1 is expected to be available for Member voting in August 2012. The draft report for Phase 2 is expected to be available for Member voting in May 2013. Members will have 15 days to submit their vote.
CSAC is scheduled to meet for Phase 1 in October 2012. CSAC is scheduled to meet for Phase 2 in August 2013. In these meetings, the CSAC is expected to consider endorsement of behavioral measures.
After the CSAC makes its decision, the NQF Board has seven days after each phase to ratify any endorsements. Any information pertaining to the Board’s deliberations will be posted when available.
The public will have 30 days for each phase to appeal the final decision to endorse a voluntary consensus standard. The appeals process will begin once the Board’s decision has been made.
