Reminder: Document patient BMI at each visit

Priority Health encourages and provides incentives to providers who complete a weight assessment and age-appropriate counseling for nutrition and physical activity annually for their patients.

Child BMI

As a key quality measure, Priority Health monitors the percentage of members 3 to 17 years of age who had an outpatient visit with evidence of the following during the measurement year:

• BMI percentile documentation (not absolute BMI value)
• Counseling for nutrition
• Counseling for physical activity

Adult BMI

Michigan is the 17th most obese state, with an adult obesity rate of 31.2% (BRFSS, 2014). Three out of every 10 adults in Michigan are obese (31.1%), while 34.9% are overweight (BRFSS 2012).

As a key quality measure, Priority Health monitors the percentage of members 18 to 74 years of age who had an outpatient visit and whose body mass index (BMI) was documented during the measurement year or the year prior to the measurement year. Members under age 21 must have a height, weight and a BMI percentile documented and/or plotted on a BMI chart.

Resources & best practices

MDHHS provides evidence-based programs and interactive web resources to people interested in improving their health. Follow the links below for more information.

Programs

Personal Action Toward Health (PATH)

Enhance® Fitness

Web resources to help your patients achieve a healthy body weight

• Michigan Health and Wellness 4 x 4 Plan
• Michigan Health & Wellness 4 x 4 patient resources
• Take the MI Healthier Tomorrow pledge
• MI Healthier Tomorrow tools
• Become a MI Healthier Tomorrow partner
• Your healthy medical team: Sign up for Designing Healthy Environments at Work

Helpful tips from HEDIS^® guidelines

Measure height and weight at least annually and document the BMI percentile in the medical record.

Consider incorporating appropriate nutritional and weight management questioning and counseling into your routine clinical practice.

Document any advice you give the patient. When counseling for nutrition, you must document face-to-face discussion of:

• Current nutritional behavior like appetite or meal patterns
• Eating and dieting habits
• Any counselling or referral to nutrition education
• Any nutritional educational materials that you provided during the visit
• Anticipatory guidance for nutrition, eating disorders, nutritional deficiencies, underweight, obesity or overweight

When counseling for physical activity, document face-to-face discussion of:

• Current physical activity behaviors like exercise routines, participation in sports activities or bike riding
• Referrals to physical activity, educational material
• Anticipatory guidance on physical activity, obesity or overweight

Incentives for the BMI measure

For additional information see the Priority Health PCP Incentive Program or CPC+ Incentive Program.

HEDIS is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).