Why is the ICSI initiative recommending using a common set of appropriateness criteria?
A. The ICSI HTDI Steering Committee that helped develop the pilot model determined that the more medical groups and hospital-based clinics that use the same appropriateness criteria, the easier it will be to determine how orders contribute to improved patient outcomes. Additionally, the medical groups participating in the ICSI pilot indicated it is much easier and more cost effective to maintain appropriateness criteria through a national vendor than on their own. However, it will be up to the individual health plans, medical groups and hospital-based clinics to decide if they will adopt this ICSI decision-support solution. Q. Who is the appropriateness criteria vendor? A. ICSI’s HTDI Steering Committee reviewed appropriateness criteria from several national vendors. The appropriateness criteria and associated software have been licensed from Nuance Communications, Inc. Q. Are Minnesota health plans supporting ICSI’s decision-support option? A. BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota, Health
