CHRISTUS Medical Group Quality Measures
Documentation of Current Medications and Allergies
Why is this important?
Keeping up-to-date lists of which medicines a patient takes is important because it keeps patients safer. Because patients may have several different providers or physicians prescribing and/or managing their medications, it is important that CMG providers are aware of all medications the patient may be taking, including herbals and supplements. CMG providers will look to see if any medications that the patient is taking could have negative interactions with other medications, or if any problems they are suffering from could be related to their current medications.
Providers need to have a current allergy listing for patients because allergies can develop at any point in a patient’s lifetime. It is important that providers monitor this at every visit, because allergies can develop in response to new medication, and existing allergies can worsen. Providers must ask these questions on each and every visit.
Who does this apply to?
This measure applies to CHRISTUS Medical Group’s (CMG) Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatric providers (physicians, nurse practitioners and physicians’ assistants). CMG audits patient charts/records twice a year for a listing of the patient’s current medications and allergies. However, if a provider is not meeting their goal in this area, their charts/records will be checked more frequently. The current score listed is based on the June 2008 audit.
