About the Program
The Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Care Recognition Program is a BTE Clinician Recognition Program intended to identify clinicians who deliver high-value IBD care to adult patients. The program is designed with an understanding that adult patients may seek the care of both specialists i.e. gastroenterologists as well as primary care physicians (PCPs)—for treatment and management of their inflammatory bowel disease. Accordingly, the measures reflect that clinicians should do the following.
- Deliver high-quality care from the outset of patient contact
- Understand and consider previous treatment history to help avoid inappropriate treatment
- Make efforts to reduce the risks of preventable illness
The program comprises a set of measures, based on available clinical evidence, that promote a model of care that includes the following criteria.
- Comprehensive patient assessment and reassessment
- Patient education
- Shared decision making
HCI3’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Care requirements assess clinical measures representing standards of care for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. HCI3 believes that the BTE IBD Care Recognition program has the potential to significantly improve the quality of care experienced by patients with IBD and to reduce the financial and human burden of unnecessary hospitalizations and complications.
Benefits of Recognition
- Clinicians can demonstrate to the public and to their professional peers that they meet the standards of care assessed by the program by issuing a press release, as well as having their recognition achievements posted on HCI3’s web site www.hci3.org, and communicated to both health plans and employers.
- Clinicians may use the BTE Recognition to demonstrate that they meet the standards of care assessed by the program when contracting with health organizations and purchasers of health services.
- Clinicians can identify areas of their practice that vary from the performance criteria and take steps to improve quality of care.
- Where applicable, clinicians can establish eligibility for pay-for-performance bonuses or differential reimbursement or other incentives from payers and health plans.
How Recognition is Determined
The following measures are scored to determine recognition status. Each measure has a total possible number of points available, out of 100 total. If an applicant achieves the minimum points to pass (60), he or she will be deemed “recognized” under the program.
| Measures | Points |
| IBD Type, Anatomic Location, Disease Activity | 15 |
| IBD External Manifestations Assessed | 10 |
| Corticosteroid-Sparing Therapy Prescribed | 10 |
| Bone Loss Assessment for Patients Receiving Corticosteroid Therapy | 7.5 |
| Osteoporosis Therapy in Patients with Bone Loss | 2.5 |
| Testing for Latent TB Before Initiating Anti-TNF Therapy | 10 |
| Assessment of Hepatitis B Virus Before Initiating Anti-TNF Therapy | 10 |
| Influenza Immunization | 7.5 |
| Pneumococcal Immunization | 7.5 |
| Tobacco Screening | 5 |
| Tobacco Cessation Counseling | 5 |
| Appropriate Use of Surveillance Colonoscopy for Prevention of Colorectal Cancer | 10 |
| Depression Screening | 0 |
| Use of Biologics | 0 |
| Total Possible Points | 100 |
| Points to Pass | 60 |
Eligible Clinicians
The following clinician types are eligible for participation:
- Physician or Doctor of Osteopathy (MD, DO)
- Nurse Practitioner (NP)
- Physician Assistant (PA)
Preview the next guide, going into effect September 1, 2016. New applicants seeking recognition from the IBD Care Program September 1 and later will be evaluated under these revised and updated measures. Clinicians with current IBD Care Program recognitions need not reapply until the two-year term of their recognition expires.