Description:
For MEX 5, the patient must be seen at least twice: once at the time of diagnosis to document the pain scale, and a second time to assess any decrease in pain. In order to document the patient’s pain, you must use the standardized pain scale 1-10. This measure tracks pain levels from the first visit to the last. No specific treatment is required—any intervention that effectively reduces the patient's pain is acceptable, the hammer toe diagnosis must be a part of the claim. Treatments may include surgery, changes in shoe gear, padding, and debride corns.
The measure is met for all patients who report a clinically significant decrease in pain as documented by a pain scale. A significant decrease in pain is defined as a reduction of at least 50% from the initial pain level. The measure is not met if the patient's pain does not improve to least a 50% reduction in pain or if a pain scale is not documented. Exclusions for this measure include patients who are prescribed opioids for pain and patients who did not return for a follow up visit after being provided an intervention.
This is a desirable measure, as it is a specific podiatry measure. It demonstrates the quality of care that you provide, and it is also a simple measure to participate in. The only documentation that is required is the pain scale above and beyond the normal documentation.
For all MIPS measures, you can earn up to 10 points. How many points you earn is directly related to your performance on the measure. If you have more than 65.22% of your patients to have a significant decrease in pain, then you will earn 10 points for this measure. Your goal is to have 6 measures with a score of 8, 9, or 10, to get a perfect 60/60 in quality, and to report a high performance on Podiatry Specific Measures. Small practices will receive six bonus quality points.
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