Submitted by yale-coredQMRoadmap on
CMS-CCSQ Support for OMH's Interpreter Needed for USCDI v5
CMS-CCSQ supports "Interpreter Needed" as a new data element submission by OMH to USCDI v5. The addition of the "Interpreter Needed" data element aligns with ONC’s priorities to enhance health equity and support diverse populations, ultimately improving healthcare quality. The inclusion of this data element addresses the language service needs of historically underserved populations and for those with limited English proficiency. In addition, the element allows the patient to provide essential information for proper care and quality measurement. This data element is currently being collected as part of standardized PAC assessments in the Quality Reporting Program (https://del.cms.gov/DELWeb/pubDataEleDetail?asmtId=4&asmtItmId=A1100A) to inform the need for language access services.
By including the "Interpreter Needed" data element, healthcare providers can better tailor their services to meet the unique linguistic needs of each patient. The integration of this data element into USCDI v5 supports the broader objective of capturing and exchanging nuanced information related to language access services. It primarily elevates individualized care by enhancing patient understanding and the quality of care in the hospital, outpatient care, and post-acute care settings. This data feature also streamlines the referral process and care transitions by offering a standardized format for sharing interpretation requirements, optimizing operational workflows, and enriching the patient experience. In public health epidemiology, it can contribute to disease tracking and facilitate contact tracing efforts. This data element also could be instrumental in health equity studies by providing more precise data on language disparities. Finally, its integration could simplify federal data collection mandates, thereby lessening the administrative load on healthcare facilities.
Submitted by NCQA on
NCQA Comment on Pronouns: for USCDI v5
NCQA supports adding the Pronouns element to USCDI (as proposed by Gender Harmony and represented in LOINC through “Observation: 90778-2 Personal Pronouns – Reported” and “Answer list: LL5144-2 Personal pronouns 1.3.6.1.4.1.12009.10.1.4011”). Understanding which pronoun(s) to use when referring to someone is important for providing affirming health care. It is important to reliably exchange personal pronouns that the individual has specifically reported they want used.