Early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment examination completion rates for Oklahoma Medicaid managed care: 1995-1998.

: Although quality medical care is a goal of all health care providers, finding a means by which to take that idea from the abstract to the measurable is often an arduous task. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality confronted that challenge when examining the state of Oklahoma's Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) examination completion rates. Focused on measuring processes of care, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) and the Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality (OFMQ) used chart abstraction to track EPSDT examination rates for SoonerCare Plus Medicaid managed care recipients from 1995 through 1998. During the abstractions, an examination was interpreted as an EPSDT screen if a comprehensive health and development history plus a comprehensive unclothed physical examination were recorded. Examination rates have improved from 1995 when there was a documented 17.6% completion rate. The 1998 documented rate of completion was 60.0%. Trend analysis shows significant improvement over the four-year period. The results also suggest the necessity for continued improvement in the provision of documented EPSDT examinations to individuals in Medicaid managed care plans in Oklahoma.