CMS requires electronic submission of Inpatient Quality Reporting for 2016

DEDHAM, Mass. - Aug. 18, 2015 - PRLog -- On July 31, 2015, CMS issued its final rule requiring hospitals to submit eCQMs for Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) next year in CY 2016.

CMS finalized its proposal to require hospitals to report clinical quality measurers electronically during calendar year 2016 in order to receive payment in the FY 2018 Inpatient Quality Reporting program. The final rule requires hospitals to submit 4 out of 28 electronic clinical quality measures over one quarter (either Q3 or Q4) of electronic data in 2016 by February 28, 2017. The Final Rule confirms CMS’s vision to implement a unified, aligned set of clinical quality measures and reporting requirements to synchronize and integrate CMS quality programs.

What this means for the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program: In the final rule, CMS is updating the measures used in the Hospital IQR Program. CMS will add a total of seven new measures:  three new claims-based measures and one structural measure for the FY 2018 payment determination and subsequent years; and three new claims-based measures for the FY 2019 payment determination and subsequent years. For the FY 2018 payment determination and subsequent years, CMS also proposes to remove nine measures, two of which are suspended, as well as refine two previously adopted measures to expand measure cohorts. http://www.acmeware.com/inpatient-quality-reporting.aspx

In addition, CMS is finalizing changes in relation to eCQMs. CMS is extending its policy that hospitals are not required to also chart-abstract and submit STK-01 if they submit the STK-02, STK-03, STK-04, STK-05, STK-06, STK-08, and STK-10 as electronic clinical quality measures for the CY 2015/FY 2017 payment determination.

Acmeware’s OneView Hospital Quality Reporting Package supports the electronic submission of clinical quality measures for the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) program. Acmeware was the first MEDITECH eCQM vendor to successfully submit eCQM measures electronically on the CMS QualityNet using QRDA files for the 2014 reporting period. OneView includes certified eCQMs submission for Meaningful Use, Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR), and The Joint Commission (ORYX) Reporting. http://www.acmeware.com/hospital-quality-reporting.aspx

Taken from the Federal Register: "CMS is finalizing modifications of its proposals and will require hospitals to submit 4 of 28 available eCQMs of their choice beginning in CY 2016 for the FY 2018 payment determination. Additionally, hospitals will be required to submit one quarter (either Q3 or Q4) of electronic data in CY 2016 by February 28, 2017.

Therefore, instead of requiring hospitals to report 16 of the 28 electronic clinical quality measures for the CY 2016/FY 2018 payment determination as proposed, we will require hospitals to report a minimum of 4 of the 28 electronic clinical quality measures for CY 2016 reporting.

We do not agree that electronic clinical quality measure reporting should remain voluntary until both providers and policymakers agree on the maturity of eCQM specifications. We believe that electronic clinical quality measures have matured since their inception, and we will address any specific eCQMs in future rulemaking. Our established policies about removing or suspending measures (section VIII.A.3. of the preamble of this final rule) also apply to eCQMs."

About Acmeware, Inc.

Acmeware, Inc. provides consulting services, training, products, and custom software solutions that assist clients in realizing the maximum benefit from their MEDITECH Data Repository (DR) application. We are a service-oriented company working in partnership with our DR clients to leverage the latest technologies, transform disparate raw data to knowledge, and deliver valuable insight to healthcare organizations. Acmeware's dedicated focus on DR related services allows us to provide solutions that are innovative, efficient, accurate, and affordable.