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Behavioral Health

Behavioral Health Expert Panel

Technical Expert Panel (TEP) Project Overview

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are supporting a federal cross-agency initiative regarding Behavioral Health Clinical Quality Measures (BH CQMs). This project facilitates the development of a portfolio of BH CQMs for potential inclusion in the EHR Incentive Programs’ Stages 2 and/or Stage 3 of Meaningful Use and concludes September 30, 2012. A Technical Expert Panel (TEP) is being convened to identify and make recommendations related to the development of potential BH CQMs to be included in the portfolio for selected Behavioral Health domains.

Technical Expert Panel

Stakeholders across the Behavioral Health Community were sought for engagement in the development of the BH CQMs. The TEP consisting of representatives from healthcare providers, federal agencies, academia, patient advocacy groups, measure stewards and professional and endorsement organizations are convening to explore potential BH CQMs.

Convening the TEP is one important step in the measure development or reevaluation process that ensures transparency and allows an opportunity to obtain balanced, multi-stakeholders input. TEP members were selected based on their ability to provide input on priority behavioral health measures.

Specific project objectives include:

  • Identify Clinical Quality Measures and measure concepts for Behavioral Health specialty domains including Depression, Suicide, Trauma, Autism, Drug and Alcohol Abuse
  • Recommend Behavioral Health measures for widespread adoption and utilization (including but not limited to future stages of the EHR Incentive Programs)
  • Make recommendations for future measure development by evaluating existing clinical research
  • Provide private sector input regarding measure implementation feasibility

The work effort includes:

  1. Alignment with concurrent community initiatives
  2. Identification of emerging clinical research studies
  3. Conduct and review clinical literature environmental scans
  4. Participating in scheduled meetings
  5. Reviewing draft materials
  6. Recommending strategies for future initiatives

Details about the measure development process can be found in the Measures Management System Blueprint.