NQF-Endorsed Measures for Endocrine Conditions Final Report 

In the United States, two of the most common endocrine disorders are diabetes and osteoporosis. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States and affects an estimated 29.1 million people. Diabetes is most prevalent in those ages 65 and older (25.9%) and is associated with an estimated $176 billion in direct medical costs. An estimated 10.2 million U.S. adults age 50 and over have osteoporosis. Overall, osteoporosis is more common in women than in men (15.4% vs. 4.3%). Fractures associated with Osteoporosis decrease quality of life and increase the likelihood of functional impairment, morbidity, and mortality. As much as $20 billion in direct medical costs can be attributed to osteoporosis. NQF selected the Endocrine measure evaluation project to pilot a potential change in the measure submission process to allow for more frequent submission and evaluation of measures than what is possible in our current three year measure maintenance process. This report includes a detailed discussion of lessons learned from the pilot. During the three cycles within this project, the Endocrine Standing Committee evaluated five new measures and 18 measures undergoing maintenance review against NQF’s standard evaluation criteria.