New CMS Resources for eCQM Development: The Collaborative Measure Development Workspace

The Electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) Strategy Project is an ongoing effort of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and is part of our ongoing commitment to promote efficiency through health information technology while decreasing burden to providers. CMS has now expanded the Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement (eCQI) Resource Center (RC) to include a Collaborative Measure Development (CMD) Workspace. The CMD Workspace brings together a set of interconnected resources, tools, and processes to promote clarity, transparency, and better interaction across stakeholder communities that develop, implement, and report eCQMs.

The initial release of the CMD Workspace includes a landing page, with information about the five planned modules housed in the Workspace, and the first module to go live, the Data Element Repository (DERep), which contains definitions for standardized eCQM data elements currently used in CMS quality and value based programs. The DERep clearly presents data element definitions for eCQMs used in CMS’ Hospital Quality Reporting Program, Promoting Interoperability Programs, and the Quality Payment Program (QPP). The DERep should provide clarity for clinicians, quality measurement specialists, electronic health record (EHR) vendors, and information technology staff when representing and mapping data required for eCQMs used in these programs. All 16 hospital eCQMs are included in the initial version of the DERep, along with eight QPP eCQMs. The remainder of the QPP eCQMs are planned for publication in the DERep in Spring, 2019.

Look for forthcoming communication on go-live timelines for the other four planned CMD Workspace modules that will include: eCQM Concepts, New eCQM Clinical Workflow, eCQM Test Results, and automated Updates on eCQMs under development.

CMS encourages users to explore the CMD Workspace and DERep. Join the interactive user-centered community and provide feedback at ecqi-resource-center@hhs.gov.