Implementing Health Assessments in Primary Care: A How-to Guide

Richard Ricciardi, PhD, NP, FAANP (AHRQ) and Douglas Fernald, MA (University of Colorado School of Medicine, the Colorado Health Outcomes Program, and the Shared Networks of Collaborative Practices and Partners) discuss an evidence-based guide, released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, that was developed for primary care doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants on how to successfully select, adopt and implement health assessments (HA) in primary care settings. The presenters describe how this guide, Health Assessments in Primary Care: A How-to Guide for Clinicians and Staff, may be used to help clinicians decide which health assessments to use, how to integrate them into their daily workflow and how to engage patients. This guide is especially useful in the context of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA): the ACA authorizes Medicare coverage of annual wellness visits and specifies that a health risk assessment be included as part of those visits.