Â鶹ֱ²¥app

Screening for Osteoporosis for Women 65-85 Years of Age

Percentage of female patients aged 65-85 years of age who ever had a central dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to check for osteoporosis

Date Reviewed: May 4, 2022

Measure Info

MIPS 039 NQF 0046 CMS 039 NQF Endorsed
Measure Type
Process
Measure Steward
National Committee for Quality Assurance
Clinical Topic Area
Osteoporosis

Care Setting
Outpatient
Data Source
Claims
Electronic Health Records
Paper Medical Records
Registry

This performance measure will likely result in meaningful and measurable improvements in clinical outcomes and aligns with United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations on screening for osteoporosis. While the PMC supports this performance measure, there are still some feasibility issues with implementation, particularly the denominator exclusion of osteoporosis diagnosis on the date of encounter. For Medicare reimbursement, physicians cannot order a bone mineral density test without prior documentation of osteoporosis. Many patients do not want to pay for a bone mineral density test out of pocket. Additionally, implementation could promote overuse of screening if patients receive care from multiple physicians and/or have poor record continuity, and in women who are at lower risk for osteoporosis based on reasonably identifiable factors (e.g., BMI, ethnicity). The PMC encourages the developers to revisit the exclusion of hospice and palliative care patients to ensure it is more feasible.