ONC Health IT Certification Program Updates (09/29/2017)

ONC Health IT Certification Program Updates (09/29/2017)

Test Method Updates

Recently Updated Test Procedures (TPs)

2015 Edition Test Procedures
Criterion Number	Criterion Title	Details
§ 170.315(b)(2)	Clinical information reconciliation and incorporation	Clarified (iii)(B) TLV requirements for displaying and reconciling a list for each list type.
§ 170.315(e)(1)	View, download, and transmit to 3rd party	Updated step (e)(1)(ii)(B)to explain the optional testing of activity history log testing during the § 170.315(d)(2) testing.
§ 170.315(h)(2)	Direct Project, Edge Protocol, and XDR/XDM	Removed step requiring the validation of message tracking using processed MDNs in (i)(C) IHE XDR and SMTP Send as redundant. Corrected typo.

Recently Updated Test Data

2015 Edition Test Data
Criterion Number	Criterion Title	Details
§ 170.315(g)(2)	Automated measure calculation (EP/EC Test Data)	Updated test notes in Required Test 5 and 6.

Recently Updated Certification Companion Guides (CCGs)

2015 Edition Certification Companion Guides (CCGs)
Criterion Number	Criterion Title	Details
§ 170.315(a)(5)	Demographics	Provided instructions for accessing and navigating to the appropriate CDCREC Roll-up Codes (paragraph (i)(A)of the criterion).
§ 170.315(a)(13)	Patient-specific education resources	Further clarified the capabilities that must be demonstrated for health IT to be certified to this criterion (See “applies to entire criterion” section).
§ 170.315(b)(1)	Transitions of Care	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within the entire criterion row.
§ 170.315(b)(2)	Clinical information reconciliation and incorporation	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within the entire criterion row.
§ 170.315(b)(4)	Common Clinical Data Set summary record – create	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within the entire criterion row.
§ 170.315(b)(5)	Common Clinical Data Set summary record – receive	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within the entire criterion row.
§ 170.315(b)(6)	Data export	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within subparagraph (ii).
§ 170.315(b)(7)	Data segmentation for privacy – send	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within the entire criterion row.
§ 170.315(b)(8)	Data segmentation for privacy – receive	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within subparagraph (i).
§ 170.315(b)(9)	Care plan	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within the entire criterion row.
§ 170.315(d)(9)	Trusted Connection	Updated to reference ‘HTTPS’ in subparagraph (ii).
§ 170.315(e)(1)	View, download, and transmit to 3rd party	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within the entire criterion row.
§ 170.315(g)(1)	Automated numerator recording	Added clarification on numerator inclusion for the patient-specific education measure, which provides certification guidance for the use of automation in the provision of patient-specific education materials.
§ 170.315(g)(2)	Automated measure calculation	Added clarification on numerator inclusion for the patient-specific education measure, which provides certification guidance for the use of automation in the provision of patient-specific education materials.
§ 170.315(g)(6)	Consolidated CDA creation performance	Provides notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements within the entire criterion row.
§ 170.315(g)(7)	Application access – patient selection	Revised clarification for paragraph (ii)(B)that the hyperlink provided for all of the documentation must reflect the most recent version of all the documentation, not just the terms of use.
§ 170.315(g)(8)	Application access – data category request	Revised clarification for paragraph (ii)(B) that the hyperlink provided for all of the documentation must reflect the most recent version of all the documentation, not just the terms of use.
§ 170.315(g)(9)	Application access – all data request	Revised clarification for paragraph (ii)(B)that the hyperlink provided for all of the documentation must reflect the most recent version of all the documentation, not just the terms of use. Provided notification of C-CDA2.1 errata adoption and compliance requirements for paragraph (i)(A).

ONC-ACB Application

ONC recently published a fillable application form for entities applying for ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC-ACB) status. The form and additional information regarding ONC-ACBs is available on the ONC Health IT Certification Program page.

Edge Test Tool Updates

On September 21st, 2017 the Edge Testing Tool was updated to include new capabilities for surveillance testing. The transport tests included supports in-the-field real-world verification of health IT to three specified 2015 Edition certification criteria that test transport standards conformance. These tests can be executed on an ad-hoc basis and do not require any specific data.

The C-CDA Scorecard can be used for context-free/non-certification based testing. Please access the ONC One Click Scorecard page for additional information on testing for both C-CDA content and Direct protocol transport.

Questions, comments or suggestions about this new Surveillance Testing capability can be sent to SITTeam@hhs.gov or ONC.Certification@hhs.gov.

Clinical Quality Measure (CQM) Updates

Electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) Value Set Addendum for the 4th Quarter 2017 Reporting Period for Hospital Quality Reporting Programs Now Available

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued an addendum to the electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) annual update specifications published in April 2016. The addendum updates the eCQM value sets, technical release notes and the binding parameter specification for the 4th Quarter 2017 reporting period for Eligible Hospitals (EHs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). These changes affect electronic reporting of eCQMs for the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) and Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs for EHs and CAHs.

For more information and to get the addendum, see the eCQI Resource Center Eligible Hospital / Critical Access Hospital eCQMs page.

2018 Electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) Value Set Addendum for Eligible Clinician, Eligible Professional, and Hospital Quality Reporting Programs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued an addendum to the electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) annual update specifications published in May 2017. The addendum updates the eCQM value sets, technical release notes, and the binding parameter specification. These are now available for the 2018 reporting period for Eligible Hospitals (EHs) and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and the 2018 performance period for Eligible Professionals (EPs) and Eligible Clinicians. These changes affect electronic reporting of eCQMs for the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) and Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs for EHs and CAHs and the CMS Quality Payment Program and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program for EPs.

For more information and to get the addendum, see the eCQI Resource Center EHs and CAHs and EPs and Eligible Clinicians eCQMs pages.

QRDA Reference and Guides now located on the eCQI Resource Center

Effective October 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has moved the source of truth of the CMS QRDA Reference and Implementation Guides (IGs) from the eCQM Library Page to the QRDA page of the Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement (eCQI) Resource Center. The eCQM Library Page will sunset at the end of the year and will be replaced with a redirect link to the eCQI Resource Center.

To find out more about QRDA and eCQMs, visit the eCQI Resource Center.