"Real World" Uses of HOS Data
Since its inception in 1998, the HOS program has successfully gathered valid, reliable,
and clinically meaningful data which are used in a variety of "real world" settings,
including:
- CMS to assess the performance of MAOs and reward high performers.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) calculates a performance assessment
ranking for Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) based on the HOS results, other
survey results (e.g., CAHPS®), and additional process measures. CMS uses this information
to monitor and reward desired health plan performance. In addition, CMS uses HOS
data to calculate a frailty adjustor to set payment rates for social health maintenance
organizations (SHMOs) and special needs plans (SNPs). The analysis of HOS data helps
CMS to prioritize program areas for further investigation.
- Health researchers to advance the state-of-the-science in functional health
outcomes measurement, and quality improvement interventions and strategies.
Please visit the HOS Publications Page for information
on available manuals, peer-reviewed articles, and technical reports that have been
developed using HOS data.
- Managed care organizations, providers, and quality improvement organizations
to monitor and improve health care quality.
An MAO can use the HOS to review its performance and identify clinical areas for
special focus. A Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) can use the HOS to monitor,
assess, and promote quality improvement in the MA program.
Materials and webinars have been developed to assist MAOs and QIOs with their quality
improvement efforts.
MAO Resources for Best Practices and the CMS Part C Star Ratings System
The following guide is a resource to help Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs)
develop and apply strategies that address the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS)
items used in the CMS Medicare Advantage Part C Star Ratings. The guide includes
an overview of HOS, national performance results on HOS items included in the Medicare
Star Ratings system, best practices in promoting quality preventive health care
for the elderly, and HOS resources available to MAOs. Section 1 discusses the prevalence
of conditions measured by the HOS items and provides a summary of national HOS results
to highlight opportunities for improvement and intervention strategies. Section
2 provides examples of interventions that some MAOs have used to promote patient-physician
communication, screening services or maintenance of functional status among their
members. Select the link below to access the guide.
The following literature review is a synthesis of selected articles of functional
status outcomes in older adults and is designed to supplement the guide for MAOs
above entitled, “Opportunities for Improving Medicare HOS Results through Practices
in Quality Preventive Health Care for the Elderly.” The included outcomes target
short form assessments of health that span the physical to psychological from well
established questionnaires. In addition, outcome measures include activities of
daily living that capture functional limitations in Medicare Advantage recipients.
The articles were selected from the vantage point of interventions that could impact
on the functional status outcomes in elderly populations. The HOS includes the Veterans
RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12) as the core measure for the physical (PCS) and
mental (MCS) summary scores. It also includes HEDIS® Effectiveness of Care Measures
for Management of Urinary Incontinence in Older Adults, Physical Activity in Older
Adults, Fall Risk Management and Osteoporosis Testing in Older Women. Select the
link below to access the literature review.
Self-Paced Training Webinars
The following Windows Media Video (.WMV) files require windows media software to
view the recorded HOS self-paced training presentations. If no WMV-supported media
player has been installed on your system, a media player may be downloaded from
this
Windows Media Player link. This video provides closed captioning, which
is not a default setting for the Windows Media Player. Consult the documentation
for your version of the media player to activate closed captioning on your system.
2011
“Getting the Most from Your Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) Baseline Report”
is an intermediate training session that illustrates how MAOs may use their baseline
HOS report and builds on information from the basic introductory tutorial. The session
discusses how to maximize the use of the HOS baseline report to provide information
on the health of your beneficiaries and to develop chronic care improvement programs
(CCIPs). The webinar is accessible by clicking on the Webinar title below.
“Introduction to the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS)” is a basic tutorial
that is appropriate for MAOs that are new to the HOS or those who want to obtain
an overview of the kinds of information that the HOS provides about the health of
beneficiaries. In addition, the training program provides some practical guidance
about how to obtain HOS reports and data. The webinars are accessible by clicking
on the Webinar titles below and are approximately 30 minutes in length.
Medicare Advantage Quality Measurement & Performance Assessment Training Conference
2008
On April 8-9, 2008, a two-day educational conference sponsored by the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) was conducted in Baltimore, MD. The conference
was designed to enhance participants' knowledge on various topics pertaining to
quality measurement and performance in Medicare Advantage. Consult the
MA Conference Materials section of the website for the slide and audio presentations
from the conference.
Recorded Webinars
The following WebEx Recording Format (.WRF) files require a WebEx Player in order
to view the recorded 2005 and 2006 HOS Webinar presentations. The player may be
downloaded from this
WebEx Player link. The WebEx (.WRF) files for each Webinar may be downloaded
from the links below. In addition, there are Portable Document Format (.PDF) files
of the slide presentations that are also available for download.
2006
"Enhancing the Use of HOS Data," two web conferences about the HOS program were
presented in 2006. Topics in the series included: how MAOs and QIOs can increase
the utilization of the information in their HOS reports; and using the HOS data
for research purposes. The seminar slides for each of the presentations are available
by clicking on the PDF link. Recorded presentations of the web conferences can also
be heard by clicking on the WRF link.
2005
HOS data applications were the subject of a series of web conferences entitled "The
Medicare Health Outcomes Survey: Data Driven Strategies for Quality Improvement"
presented by the Medicare Advantage (Quality Improvement Organization Support Center
[QIOSC]) in partnership with the Arizona and Florida Quality Improvement Organizations.
Topics included identifying strategies for managing chronic conditions and disease
management. The seminar slides for each of the presentations are available by clicking
on the PDF link. Recorded presentations of the web conferences can be heard by clicking
on the WRF link.
- Overview of the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey and Strategies For Using HOS Data
to Improve Quality: May 3, 2005 (PDF, 881 KB) (WRF, 8.47 MB)
- Using the Medicare HOS Data to Identify Strategies for Managing Chronic Conditions
and Using the Medicare HOS Data to Identify At Risk Beneficiaries: May 31, 2005
(PDF, 235 KB) (WRF, 4.49 MB)
- Using the Medicare HOS Data to Evaluate Disease Management Programs and Using the
Medicare HOS Data for the Pharmacy Management of Depression: June 28, 2005 (PDF, 254
KB) (WRF, 6.0 MB)
Medicare HOS Information Synthesis
This document reviews a number of interventions that have an effect on the overall
well-being and functional status of seniors. The intent of the review is to provide
direction in developing interventions that are relevant to the specific needs of
Medicare beneficiaries. This document is available for download Medicare HOS Information
Synthesis (PDF, 3.4 MB).
National Pilot Project on Depression
The National Pilot Project on Depression was a cooperative effort involving CMS,
six QIOs, and sixteen health plans, working to help primary care providers recognize
and treat depression in Medicare beneficiaries. HOS data were analyzed to establish
a profile of those at risk for depression. The results of this project can be used
as a mode for developing risk profiles for other health conditions or outcomes captured
by the HOS data. Below are links to the Final Report and User's Guide for this project.