The HEDIS measure Antidepressant Medication Management (AMM) applies to the percentage of members who are 18 years of age and older, were treated with antidepressant medication, had a diagnosis of major depression, and remained on antidepressant medication treatment. The measure focuses on two rates—the effective acute phase and the effective continuation phase. Detailed information on this measure is in the following table:
Measure
Measure population
Tips for success
Antidepressant Medication Management
The Effective Acute Phase Treatment refers to the percentage of members who remained on an antidepressant medication for at least 84 days (12 weeks).
The Effective Continuation Phase Treatment refers to the percentage of members who remained on an antidepressant medication for at least 180 days (six months).
- Schedule a follow-up office visit to assess symptoms within a maximum of six weeks.
- Visits should be sufficiently frequent to optimize adherence. (Roughly half of all patients treated for depression stop taking their medication within the first month.)
- Remind patients that symptom alleviation may take between two and four weeks. It can sometimes take up to eight weeks for medication to become fully effective.
- Remind patients to continue to take medications for at least six months, even if their symptoms improve