Now Available: Updated Electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs) for 2017

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) posted the 2016 annual update for eCQMs for eligible hospitals and eligible professionals. Providers will use these updated measures to electronically report 2017 quality data for CMS quality reporting programs.

CMS updates the specifications annually to improve their alignment with current clinical guidelines and code systems so that they remain relevant and actionable within the clinical care setting. ONC strongly encourages the implementation and use of the updated electronic specifications since updates include updated terminologies, critical logic corrections, and intent clarification.

EHR Certification for eCQM Reporting

eCQM testing is included within ONC’s Health IT Certification Program. Currently, ONC uses theCypress open source testing tool to test the capture, export, import, calculate, and report features of eCQMs within health IT. The 2015 Edition Test Method and companion guide documents aid stakeholders in the development and testing of health IT modules. The test method includes test procedures, tools, and data for evaluating conformance to certification criteria. Visit the eCQI Resource Center for more on certification of eCQM reporting capabilities.

Where to Find the Updated Measures

The updated measure specifications are available on the Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement (eCQI) Resource Center for Eligible Hospitals, Eligible Professionals and the CMS website eCQM Library.