10 Things I Hate About HEDIS (But Why You Need to Love Them)

A VBC Whisperer Newsletter | Week 7

Welcome to HEDIS High School! 🎒

Remember being a teenager and hating everything your parents told you was "good for you"? Vegetables, curfews, studying for the SATs... and now here we are as grown clinicians, having the exact same rebellious feelings about HEDIS measures.

"I hate that they're so complicated!" "I hate that they change every year!" "I hate that they don't capture real patient care!"

Sound familiar? You're basically Kat Stratford from "10 Things I Hate About You" - intelligent, independent, and absolutely convinced that this whole HEDIS thing is just another way for "the system" to control you.

But here's the plot twist: Just like Kat eventually realized Patrick wasn't so bad after all, you might discover that HEDIS measures, when understood properly, can actually help you provide better patient care.

Let me be your Cameron - the friend who helps you see past the surface to what's really going on.

The 10 Things We All Hate About HEDIS (And Why They Exist)

1. "I hate that HEDIS measures are so confusing!"

The Reality: HEDIS measures feel like they're written in a foreign language because they're designed for consistency across thousands of different practices.

Why You Need to Love This: That complexity ensures fair comparison. When you hit a HEDIS target, you know you're truly performing well, not just gaming an easy system.

The Love Story: Think of HEDIS specifications like Shakespeare - difficult to understand at first, but once you get it, you realize there's genius in the precision.

2. "I hate that they change every year!"

The Reality: HEDIS evolves because healthcare evolves. New evidence, new treatments, new best practices.

Why You Need to Love This: These updates keep you current with the latest evidence-based care. You're not stuck following 2015 guidelines in 2025.

The Love Story: It's like your favorite band releasing new albums - yes, you loved the old songs, but the new ones keep things fresh and relevant.

3. "I hate that they don't capture the complexity of my patients!"

The Reality: HEDIS measures are population-level tools, not individual patient assessments.

Why You Need to Love This: They help you identify patterns you might miss when you're focused on individual cases. Sometimes you need the forest view, not just the trees.

The Love Story: It's like having a GPS for your practice - it doesn't tell you about every pothole, but it keeps you heading in the right direction.

4. "I hate that they're all about numbers, not relationships!"

The Reality: HEDIS measures track outcomes that strengthen patient relationships - better preventive care, chronic disease management, medication adherence.

Why You Need to Love This: When your HEDIS scores improve, it usually means your patients are healthier and more engaged with their care.

The Love Story: Numbers are just the love language of population health - they're how we say "I care about all my patients" at scale.

5. "I hate that they make me feel like I'm failing!"

The Reality: HEDIS benchmarks are set high because they represent optimal care goals.

Why You Need to Love This: They push you toward excellence. Meeting HEDIS targets means you're providing care that's among the best in the country.

The Love Story: It's like having a really good coach - they don't let you settle for "good enough" because they know you're capable of greatness.

6. "I hate that they require so much documentation!"

The Reality: Documentation requirements ensure that good care gets recognized and measured accurately.

Why You Need to Love This: Proper documentation protects you legally, supports your clinical decisions, and ensures you get credit for the excellent care you provide.

The Love Story: Think of documentation as writing love letters to future you - detailed notes that help you remember exactly what you were thinking and why.

7. "I hate that they don't account for social determinants!"

The Reality: Many HEDIS measures now include adjustments for social factors, and more are being developed.

Why You Need to Love This: HEDIS is evolving to recognize the challenges you face with complex patient populations.

The Love Story: It's a relationship that's growing and maturing - acknowledging past shortcomings and working to do better.

8. "I hate that they're tied to my income!"

The Reality: Financial incentives are designed to align payment with patient outcomes.

Why You Need to Love This: When done right, this means you get paid more for keeping patients healthier, not just for seeing more patients.

The Love Story: It's like being paid to do what you already want to do - provide excellent patient care.

9. "I hate that they make me compete with other doctors!"

The Reality: HEDIS creates transparency about quality performance across practices.

Why You Need to Love This: Competition drives innovation and improvement. Plus, you can learn from high-performing practices.

The Love Story: It's like being part of a study group where everyone helps each other get better grades.

10. "I hate that they take time away from patient care!"

The Reality: HEDIS-focused activities often improve the efficiency and effectiveness of patient care.

Why You Need to Love This: Time spent on HEDIS improvement usually pays dividends in better patient outcomes and more streamlined workflows.

The Love Story: It's an investment in your practice's future - short-term effort for long-term benefits.

The HEDIS Transformation: From Hate to Love

Stage 1: The Rebellion Phase

"This is stupid and I refuse to participate!"

You're Kat at the beginning of the movie - angry, resistant, and convinced that anyone who likes HEDIS is either naive or corrupt. You avoid HEDIS reports, delegate everything to staff, and complain loudly about the whole system.

Sound familiar? Most physicians start here. It's normal and understandable.

Stage 2: The Curiosity Phase

"Okay, maybe there's something to this..."

Something happens - maybe you see a colleague's success, or you realize your patients with diabetes really are doing better since you started tracking A1C levels more systematically. You start asking questions instead of just complaining.

The turning point: You realize HEDIS might actually help you provide better care.

Stage 3: The Appreciation Phase

"I actually kind of love how this helps my patients."

You're like Kat at the end of the movie - still independent and strong-willed, but now you see the value in the relationship. You use HEDIS data to improve your practice, and you can see the positive impact on patient outcomes.

The revelation: HEDIS becomes a tool for excellence, not a burden.

Your HEDIS Love Story Action Plan

Week 1: Choose Your Favorite HEDIS Measure

Pick one HEDIS measure that actually makes sense to you. Maybe it's breast cancer screening because you've seen how early detection saves lives. Start there.

Your Assignment: Learn everything about this one measure. Understand why it matters, how it's calculated, and what good performance looks like.

Week 2: Find Your HEDIS Success Story

Identify one patient whose care improved because you focused on HEDIS-related activities. Maybe it's the diabetic patient whose A1C finally came down, or the patient who got their first colonoscopy because of your systematic outreach.

Your Assignment: Write down this success story. Keep it handy for when you're feeling frustrated with HEDIS.

Week 3: Build Your HEDIS Support System

Find colleagues who have positive relationships with HEDIS. Learn from their approaches and strategies.

Your Assignment: Have coffee with one physician who's successful with HEDIS. Ask them how they made the transition from hate to love.

Week 4: Create Your HEDIS Improvement Plan

Pick one HEDIS measure where you want to improve. Develop a specific, realistic plan for improvement.

Your Assignment: Implement one small change that could improve your performance on this measure.

The Real Talk Section: Why HEDIS Resistance is Normal

Let's be honest about why HEDIS feels so frustrating:

It Challenges Your Autonomy

You became a doctor to make independent clinical decisions, and HEDIS can feel like someone looking over your shoulder.

The Reality: HEDIS doesn't replace clinical judgment - it provides a framework for consistent, evidence-based care.

It Adds Administrative Burden

You're already overwhelmed with documentation and administrative tasks.

The Reality: HEDIS-focused improvements often streamline workflows and reduce inefficiencies over time.

It Feels Impersonal

You know your patients as individuals, not as data points.

The Reality: HEDIS helps ensure that your individual patient focus doesn't cause you to miss population-level patterns.

It Changes Constantly

Just when you figure out one set of measures, they change.

The Reality: These changes reflect evolving evidence and best practices. Staying current keeps your care optimal.

What HEDIS Love Really Looks Like

HEDIS love is NOT:

• Thinking every measure is perfect

• Never questioning HEDIS methodology

• Prioritizing scores over patient care

• Becoming obsessed with benchmarks

HEDIS love IS:

• Using measures to improve patient outcomes

• Understanding the evidence behind the measures

• Finding ways to make HEDIS work for your practice

• Seeing HEDIS as one tool in your quality improvement toolkit

Remember: Even Kat Stratford didn't change her entire personality when she fell for Patrick. She stayed true to herself while opening her heart to new possibilities. Your HEDIS love story should be the same - you can appreciate HEDIS measures while maintaining your clinical independence and patient focus.

© 2025 The VBC Whisperer | Dr. Janell Wilson

Ready to write your own HEDIS love story? Remember: The best romantic comedies aren't about perfect relationships - they're about finding love despite the flaws. Your relationship with HEDIS can be the same - imperfect but ultimately rewarding.