Measuring Body Mass Index (BMI)

Why is this important?

If you are 100 pounds or more above your ideal body weight, you may be suffering from morbid obesity.  Morbid obesity can be a fatal disease that affects your health, lifespan and quality of life.  A common measure of obesity is Body Mass Index (BMI).  Your BMI, especially when accompanied by one or more co-morbid conditions, is important to consider when seeking treatment.  It is important for you to discuss your BMI and ideal weight with your primary care physician or a surgeon if your BMI indicates an obesity-related health risk.

How WellSpan Compares

The following graph shows the percentage of patient records in which body mass index (BMI) is documented.

Unit of Measurement: Percentage

A higher score is better than a lower score.

What we are doing to improve our performance.

WellSpan has distributed BMI information to all care sites to aid staff in calculating patients’ Body Mass Index.  Staff members are responsible and accountable for documenting the BMI in the patient chart.  In addition: ·         Each practice that fell below the Medical Group average for any of the quality indicators was requested to submit a specific action plan to improve compliance. ·         Quarterly, Medical Group administration and physicians at each site will review progress on making changes to enhance compliance. ·         Sites are conducting more in-house audits on specific indicators to monitor how changes are impacting compliance. ·         Through its electronic health record, WellSpan may automatically remind physicians and clinical staff when a preventive service is required for each patient. ·         A Preventive Health Task Force reviews and compiles the most recent recommendations for providing good preventive health services; recommendations are distributed periodically to Medical Group physicians.