This content is excerpted from EyeNet’s MIPS 2023: A Primer and Reference; also see the Academy’s MIPS hub page.
MIPS includes more than 100 improvement activities, but many of them aren’t suitable for ophthalmologists.
Which improvement activities are most relevant to ophthalmology? The IRIS Registry supports reporting of the 66 improvement activities that are most meaningful for ophthalmology practices.
Select which activities you will perform. You should be able to score 100% for this performance category. To do so, the number of improvement activities that you need to perform can range from one to four, depending on the activities’ weights and whether you score double (see “How You Will Be Scored”).
Some improvement activities were designed for QCDRs, such as the IRIS Registry. The improvement activities performance category seeks to leverage the capability of qualified clinical data registries (QCDRs). For example, IRIS Registry– EHR integration facilitates performance of IA_PSPA_7: Use of QCDR data for ongoing practice assessment and improvements.
Get credit for MIPS and MOC. You can design and implement a quality improvement project that meets the requirements of the medium-weighted Maintenance of Certification (MOC) improvement activity. For further information, visit the ABO’s website at https://abop.org/IRIS.
The performance period is typically 90 days. In order to score points for an improvement activity, you—or at least 50% of your colleagues, if you are reporting as part of a group or virtual group—must perform that activity for the performance period, which is typically at least 90 consecutive days. When groups perform an activity, each clinician can choose his or her own 90-day period within the 2023 calendar year.
Document your improvement activities. Ensure that you’re ready for a future audit by maintaining documentation that shows you performed the improvement activities for which you are claiming credit. CMS has published suggested documentation for each improvement activity (for detailed web pages that list CMS’ documentation suggestions for all the activities that can be reported via the IRIS Registry, go to aao.org/medicare/improvement-activities).
In case of an audit, can you prove that improvement activities were performed for at least 90 days? When you document your performance of improvement activities, make sure you include dates so you can prove that you performed the activities for the required time, which is typically at least 90 days.
As with all MIPS documentation, you should retain documentation of your improvement activities for at least six years.
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Next: Table: Improvement Activities at a Glance
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