06 April 2016
On April 6, 2016, The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Value Set Authority Center (VSAC), in collaboration with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), published the 2016 annual update for the electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) value sets for eligible hospitals and eligible professionals. Providers will use these updated eCQM value sets to electronically report 2017 quality data for CMS quality reporting programs. CMS updates these electronic reporting specifications annually to improve alignment with current clinical guidelines and code systems so that they remain relevant and actionable within the clinical care setting. CMS has re-specified all of the updated measures using Quality Data Model (QDM) 4.2 based-HQMF version R 2.1.
VSAC eCQM Value Set Resources
Where to Find the Updated eCQM Value Sets
Access to the VSAC suite of tools requires a free Unified Medical Language System(R) Metathesaurus License.
Downloadable Resource Table: Prepackaged downloads for the entire set of the most recently updated and released eCQM value sets, as well as for previously released versions. Accessible from the Download tab on the VSAC Web page.
Application Programming Interface (API): Programmatically retrieve value sets. Find VSAC API documentation in the VSAC Support Center.
VSAC Web Page: Browse and download specific eCQM value sets. Filter by specific CMS eMeasure ID, QDM Category, or Meaningful Use Measure type (EH or EP). Accessible from the Search Value Sets tab on the VSAC Web page.
Data Element Catalog: Data element names (value set names) required for capture in electronic health record (EHR) technology certified under the 2014 Edition of the ONC Standards and Certification Criteria.
VSAC Collaboration Tool: Interactive and centralized collaboration among VSAC authors and collaborators. Find VSAC Collaboration documentation in the VSAC Support Center.
Clinical Quality Measure Resources
Where to Find the Updated eCQM Measure Specifications
The updated eCQM measure specifications are available in the CMS eCQM Library and the Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement (eCQI) Resource Center.
- NLM Value Set Authority Center (VSAC): Provides downloadable access to all official versions of vocabulary value sets contained in the Clinical Quality Measures.
- CMS eCQM Library: Guidance for understanding and using the eligible hospital and eligible professional Clinical Quality Measures.
- Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement (eCQI) Resource Center: One-stop shop for the most current resources to support Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement.
- ONC Clinical Quality Measure Feedback System: EHR technology developer and user communities can provide feedback regarding the implementation, structure, intent, and data elements pertaining to eCQMs.
- Questions about eCQM value sets? Contact NLM Value Set Authority Center Help.
Last Reviewed: September 24, 2021