Welcome to Provider's Corner! This section of our website is customized to meet your needs and will include useful tips and ideas for practices and procedures you need to complete for NCQA, Buckeye and Ohio Department of Medicaid requirements. The intent is to create an easy-to-use, one-stop shop with helpful specifics around Quality measures, such as HEDIS, CAHPS and clinical processes you can use to meet the criteria for these requirements. Be sure to bookmark this page to make it easy to return when you need to reference content. We hope you find this helpful and are open to topics you’d like discussed on the site.
National Men’s Health Month
Buckeye Health Plan encourages men to make their health a priority by staying up-to-date on important preventative care appointments and screenings. Only 12 Percent of men turn to a doctor first when they have a health issue and only two in five go to the doctor when they fear they have a serious medical condition, that is why it is important to promote Annual Preventative visits. These visits are a catalyst to closing gaps in care (i.e., blood pressure, diabetes, cancer screenings), addressing social determinants of health needs, and getting members scheduled and/or referred for required screenings.
Contingent on the age of the patient, the need for certain screenings may differ. Please some of the key screenings for men ages 18-39:
Screening for men | Who needs it |
Alcohol misuse | All men in this age group |
Blood pressure | All men in this age group |
Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes | All adults begin screening at age 35. |
Hepatitis C | All men ages 18 to 79 |
High cholesterol or triglycerides | All men ages 20 and older |
HIV | All men |
Obesity | All men in this age group |
Syphilis | Men at higher risk for infection. |
Tuberculosis | Men at higher risk for infection. |
Vision | All men in this age group |
Sexually transmitted infection prevention | Men who are sexually active |
Skin cancer | All men in this age group |
Screening for Men Ages 40 to 49 | Who needs it |
Alcohol misuse | All men in this age group |
Blood pressure | All men in this age group |
Depression | All men in this age group |
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes | All men ages 35 to 70 with no symptoms who are overweight or obese. |
BMI (body mass index) | All men in this age group |
Type 2 diabetes | All men with prediabetes |
Hepatitis C | All adults ages 18 and older at least once in a lifetime. |
High cholesterol or triglycerides | All men in this age group |
HIV | All men in this age group |
Obesity | All men in this age group |
Prostate cancer | Starting at age 45 |
Colorectal cancer | Men age 45 and older at average risk |
Syphilis | Men who are at higher risk for infection |
Tuberculosis | Men who are at higher risk for infection. |
Vision | All men in this age group |
Screening for Men | Who needs it |
Unhealthy alcohol use | All men in this age group |
Blood pressure | All men in this age group |
Colorectal cancer | All men in this age group |
Depression | All men in this age group |
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes | All men in this age group with no symptoms who are overweight or obese. |
Type 2 diabetes | All men with prediabetes |
Hepatitis C | All adults age 18 or older at least once in a lifetime. |
High cholesterol or triglycerides | All men in this age group |
HIV | All men in this age group |
Lung cancer | Smoke or have smoking history |
Obesity | All men in this age group |
BMI (body mass index) | All men in this age group |
Prostate cancer | All men in this age group |
Syphilis | Men at higher risk for infection |
Tuberculosis | Men at higher risk for infection |
Vision | All men in this age group |
Screening for Men | Who needs it |
Abdominal aortic aneurysm | Men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. |
Unhealthy alcohol use | All men in this age group |
Blood pressure | All men in this age group |
Colorectal cancer | All men at average risk in this age group through age 75. For men older than 85, screening is not advised. |
Depression | All men in this age group |
Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes | All men up to age 70 who are overweight or obese |
Type 2 diabetes | All men with prediabetes |
Hepatitis C | All men ages 18 or older |
High cholesterol or triglycerides | All men in this age group |
HIV | Men at higher risk of infection |
Lung cancer | Men between ages 50 and 80 who smoke or have a smoking history. |
Obesity | All men in this age group |
Prostate cancer | All men in this age group |
Syphilis | Men at higher risk of infection |
Tuberculosis | Men at higher risk of infection |
Vision | All men in this age group |
- Flu Season
- HEDIS Measures
- CAHPS
- Annual Wellness Visits
- Colorectal Cancer Awareness
- Provider Appointment Standards
- Heart and Nutrition
- Telehealth
- Osteoporosis
- HEDIS/CAHPS Measures: Kidney Health, Eye Exam for Patient with Diabetes, Childhood Immunization Status
Medication errors are a critical issue in healthcare and understanding the latest findings on effective strategies can help mitigate these risks. We’ve summarized key points and recommended interventions based on the 2024 Network of Patient Safety Databases Chartbook: Medication and Other Substance Events.
Key Findings:
- Over 486,000 medication or substance-related reports were submitted by the end of 2023, highlighting the prevalence of these errors.
- Errors can occur at any stages of the medication process, from prescribing to administration. Targeted interventions at every stage are essential for error prevention.
- Distractions, fatigue, and miscommunication are all major factors that have been found to contribute to medication errors.
- A significant percentage of these errors result in patient harm, making it crucial to implement strategies that reduce adverse outcomes.
Recommended Interventions:
- Improve communication among healthcare providers with clear verbal orders, complete documentation, and effective handoff procedures to reduce miscommunication-related errors.
- Implement electronic health records (EHRs), computerized physician order entry (CPOE), and barcode-assisted medication administration to minimize manual errors and streamline processes.
- Regularly educate and train healthcare providers on medication safety practices and error prevention techniques, including simulation training to enhance preparedness.
- Encourage patients to be active participants in their care by educating them about their medications and verifying their understanding, which can help prevent errors related to patient non-compliance.
- Establish robust systems for reporting and analyzing medication errors to identify patterns and implement corrective actions, fostering a culture of safety and continuous improvement.
- Implement additional safeguards for high-alert medications, which have a higher risk of causing significant harm if used incorrectly, ensuring extra precautions are taken.
Buckeye Health Plan encourages our healthcare providers to apply these findings and interventions to elevate patient safety and lower medication error rates.
2024 Network of Patient Safety Databases Chartbook
Look for our Patient Experience Video Series
Beginning with our June Provider's Corner, we will begin a monthly video series highlighting important details around several aspects of the Patient Experience. Our Buckeye Medical Directors will share their thoughts and ideas during these brief sessions.
June: What is CAHPS and HEDIS and Why is the Patient Experience Important to you?
July: Where to Start When Focusing on Patient Experience?
August: Care Coordination and Ways to Improve Outcomes
September: How to Help Patients Get the Care They Need
October: Barriers to Healthcare Access and How to Overcome Them