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Improving Chlamydia Screening

Date: 08/03/26

Superior HealthPlan would like to remind providers that Chlamydia (CHL) measures the percentage of sexually active persons (ages 16-24) who are screened for chlamydia annually. Improving CHL screening helps close gaps, improves patient outcomes through early detection and treatment, reduces complications, and supports quality performance.

Recommendations and workflow tips to increase screening rates

  • Who to screen: Sexually active persons in the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) age range (ages 16–24; confirm per your program specifications).
  • What counts: At least one chlamydia test during the measurement year.
  • Where it must be documented: A completed lab test (ordered and resulted) or a documented test performed with results scanned/entered into the chart.

Recommendations to improve CHL rates

  • Make it routine: Offer CHL screening annually for eligible patients, especially during well visits, contraception visits, pregnancy testing visits, and Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) -related visits.
  • Use standing orders/nurse protocols: Enable rooming staff to pend or order screening when eligibility is met if clinic policy permits.
  • Leverage pre-visit planning: Run gap lists and flag charts before appointments; add CHL screening to the visit agenda.
  • Use non-invasive collection: Offer urine Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) when appropriate to reduce barriers and improve acceptance.
  • Bundle with other preventive care: Pair CHL screening with cervical cancer screening, immunizations, and contraceptive counseling when clinically appropriate.
  • Close the loop: Track ordered labs to completion; follow up on no-shows for labs and re-offer testing at the next touchpoint.

Documentation tips (to ensure the screening is captured)

  • Order and result matters: Whenever possible, ensure the lab is completed and resulted within the measurement year.
  • External results: If testing was performed outside your organization, document the test date and result in the medical record and scan/import the lab report per your workflow.
  • Correct test type: Confirm that the ordered test is a chlamydia screening test (typically NAAT). Avoid ordering panels that may not map cleanly in reporting, unless your lab interface captures the discrete chlamydia result.
  • Discrete data entry: Use your Electronic Health Record  (EHR) structured fields for labs/results when available; free-text documentation may not be captured for quality reporting.

Patient outreach ideas

  • Targeted reminders: Use texts/member portal messages your office maintains for patients on your CHL gap list, aligned with your communication policies.
  • Offer convenient options: Same-day lab, walk-in lab hours, or scheduled lab-only visits.
  • Normalize the screening: Use simple language (e.g., “We offer this annual screening to all patients in this age group who are sexually active.”).

Call to action

Please review your upcoming schedules and CHL gap lists and incorporate the workflow steps above to ensure eligible patients are screened and results are captured in the chart. If you have questions about measure specifications, data capture, or patient lists, contact your Quality Practice Advisor.