HEDIS is an acronym for Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set. HEDIS is designed to inform providers and health plans about the quality of care and services provided to the members we serve. Doing well on the HEDIS measures is a key indicator that SFHP providers are providing exceptional care to members and SFHP has a great provider network and partnership.

Each year from March through May San Francisco Health Plan participates in HEDIS pursuit—our opportunity to work with you to confirm members received the services they were suppose to receive to remain healthy. And, every year we find that we have a great team of providers and clinic staff at the clinics, offices, and hospitals we visit. Thank you for sharing your charts and supporting our team during HEDIS pursuit. Our HEDIS team has been to several sites already with many more to visit. Each visit has been very welcoming with tremendous support. Your support has and will come in handy because we have several new measures this year.

The new measures include:

• Use of Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain. (Note: This is an administrative data measure so we are not pulling charts for this measure). The measure is intended to discourage the ordering of imaging studies in the first 3 months of back pain, in the absence of “red flags”.
• Weight Assessment and Counseling for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents
• Blood Pressure Control (<140/90 mmHg) for Diabetics
• Childhood Immunizations (added Rotavirus and Hep A; this will begin in 2010/11 measurement year).

Thank you for your continued support to deliver quality care to members. If you have any questions contact, Kimberly Higgins Mays, Director, Clinical Informatics, San Francisco Health Plan at (415) 615-4286.

HEDIS Team above left, back row: Kimberly Higgins Mays, Laura Meir, Wendy Mathy, Kristina Hung.
Front row: Judy Scott, Pat Glenny