Table 1.

Assessments, Scales, and Measures for a Neurology-Focused Population Data Strategy

Scale or measure	Neurology-focused information
Mortality rate	The percentage of patients with a particular neurologic condition (e.g., stroke, brain tumors) who die within a certain timeframe after diagnosis or treatment5
Functional capabilities	Includes the degree of mobility in patients' poststroke or spinal cord injury, recovery of speech and language abilities after a stroke, and return to activities of daily living (ADLs) after traumatic brain injury6-9
Neurologic deficit scales	Includes the NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores for stroke patients and the Glasgow Coma Scale or the Comprehensive Executive Function Inventory (CEFI) for patients with traumatic brain injury10,11
Symptom reduction and management in neurologic conditions	For example, decreased frequency and severity of epileptic seizures after starting a new medication and improvement or resolution of symptoms after sport-related concussion12-14
Cognitive assessments	Captures memory, skills in language, math, and spatial abilities and other mental functions for patients with dementia or mild cognitive impairment15,16
Quality of life scale	Patient-reported outcomes using tools like the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) measure or the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire17-19
Complication rates	Include incidence of complications after neurosurgical procedures, such as infection, hemorrhage, or neurologic deficits20
Recurrence rates	Measures the percentage of patients who avoid or experience a recurrence of conditions like stroke or seizures within a specified time after initial treatment21,22
Imaging outcomes	Includes resolution or reduction in tumor size on MRI after treatment for brain tumors, restoration of blood flow on imaging after intervention for ischemic stroke23,24
Medication adherence and efficacy	Rates of adherence to prescribed neurologic medications and assessment of medication effectiveness and the need for dose adjustments25,26
Patient satisfaction	Patient-reported satisfaction with the care received encompasses factors like the quality of doctor-patient communication, wait times, and overall confidence in the care team27
Rehabilitation progress or improvement	In physical, occupational, or speech therapy sessions for patients with various neurologic impairments28
Social determinants of health (SDoH)	Includes economic stability (employment status, income level, medical debt), education (literacy level, educational attainment), social and community context (social support, exposure to violence or trauma such as traumatic brain injury), health care access (coverage, transportation access), neighborhood and built environment (housing stability, access to healthy foods, environmental exposures), culture and language (primary language spoken, cultural beliefs29
Value-based care (VBC) contract outcomes	Emphasize quality, efficiency, and overall value of the care provided. In the context of neurology, data to collect or calculate for reporting include clinical outcomes (readmission rates, chronic disease management, preventive care), cost efficiency (cost savings, utilization management), patience experience (satisfaction and engagement), care coordination (referral efficiency, care continuity, care management), provider experience (engagement and satisfaction, retention rate, qualitative feedback on VBC model), financial outcomes (shared savings, performance against benchmark, risk management)
Population health management metrics	Include disease incidence and prevalence, community health initiatives and impact such as stroke prevention community programs, prevention programs, quality metrics, adherence to neurologic clinical guidelines and care pathways, clinical outcomes such as improvements in mobility poststroke or reduced seizure episodes in epilepsy patients because of interventions, effective use of EHRs to track outcomes and coordinate care, and telehealth and the impact of remote monitoring in managing neurologic conditions