Neurological Conditions 2015-2016 

Neurological conditions and injuries affect millions of Americans each year, taking a tremendous toll on patients, families, and caregivers. For example, strokes are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and cost billions of dollars in treatment, rehabilitation, and lost wages. Similarly, Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, is the fifth leading cause of death for adults aged 65 to 85, with costs expected to rise to nearly $500 billion annually by 2040. On April 4-5, 2016, NQF convened the Neurology Standing Committee to evaluate 12 NQF endorsed maintenance measures and 14 new measures related to neurological conditions and make recommendations for NQF endorsement. Nine measures were endorsed, one eMeasure was approved for trial use, six measures were endorsed with reserve status, and 10 were not recommended for endorsement.