electronic Clinical Quality Measures(eCQMs), are performance measures based on a series of technical specifications and tools including:

• Quality Data Model (QDM), a model that defines relationships between patients and clinical concepts in a standardized format to enable electronic quality performance measurement;
• Clinical Quality Language (CQL), a high level, domain-specific language focused on clinical quality and decision support artifact authors.
• Health Quality Measure Format (HQMF), an electronic document format that defines the information necessary to compute a measure and the resulting value;
• National Library of Medicine’s Value Set Authority Center (VSAC) is the authoritative source for all vocabulary value sets supporting eCQMs .

Submitting eCQMs to NQF

eCQMs follow the standard NQF performance measure submission process via online Measure Submission Form, Version 8.0 (DOCX). eCQMs are also subject to the same evaluation criteria that are current at the time of initial submission or endorsement maintenance (regardless of meeting prior criteria or prior endorsement status) as defined in Guidance on Evaluating eCQMs , Measure Evaluation Criteria and Guidance for Evaluating Measures for Endorsement.

NQF accepts three types of eCQMs for endorsement consideration:

De Novo - New eCQMs that are not based on an existing measure. De novo eCQMs must adhere to the NQF measure submission process and requirements for eCQMs submissions outlined in Measure Evaluation Criteria and Guidance for Evaluating Measures for Endorsement - Requirements for Endorsing eCQMs.

Respecified eCQMs – Current claims/registry/paper measures that are being respecified as eCQMs. Respecified eCQMs must adhere to the NQF measure submission process and requirements for eCQM submissions outlined in  Measure Evaluation Criteria and Guidance for Evaluating Measures for Endorsement - Requirements for Endorsing eCQMs.

Maintenance of Endorsement – As with all measures endorsed by NQF, a maintenance of endorsement evaluation for any eCQM will be scheduled approximately every three years.

NOTE: A new eCQM version of an endorsed measure is not considered an endorsed measure until it has been specifically evaluated and endorsed by NQF. A respecified eCQM should be submitted as a separate measure even if the same or similar measure exists for another data source (e.g., claims or registry).

Special Considerations

Trial Approval – A program supporting new eCQMs that are ready for implementation, but cannot yet be adequately tested to meet NQF measure evaluation criteria for scientific acceptability. eCQM candidates are screened and assessed based on eCQM feasibility assessment for “approval” status. Approval for trial use is time limited and carries no endorsement label. All eCQMs considered for Trial Approval must adhere to NQF’s measure submission process. More information can be found on our eCQM Trial Approval Program webpage.

“Legacy” eCQMs – Starting September 30, 2017 all respecified measure submissions for use in federal programs will be required to the same evaluation criteria as Respecified measures – the BONNIE testing only option will no longer meet Measure Evaluation Criteria for Scientific Acceptability.

Contact Information

For more information, please contact the eCQM Review Team at measuremaintenance@qualityforum.org.