Hospitals will get a two-week extension to report 2016 electronic Clinical Quality Measure data under the Meaningful Use program, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced. The agency also hinted at impending changes to reporting requirements.
CMS is extending the (eCQM) reporting deadline for hospitals participating in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) and the Medicare Electronic Health Record Incentive programs from February 28 to March 13, according to a post by Kate Goodrich, CMS Chief Medical Officer and director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality.
2016 reporting deadline extension and proposed modifications to 2017 eCQM data for IQR and #EHR for hospitals. https://t.co/WIW7LwxkDO
— CMSGov (@CMSGov) January 17, 2017
Goodrich added that CMS is preparing to make changes to eCQM requirements outlined in the 2017 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) final rule. During last year’s comment period, industry leaders criticized the reporting requirements, arguing that they were too much of a burden to hospitals. Meanwhile, CMS reported that many EHRs were not equipped to accurately report eCQMs.
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The proposed changes will be included in the 2018 IPPS proposed rule, expected to release in spring of 2017.
“CMS plans to address stakeholder concerns regarding challenges associated with hospitals transitioning to new EHR systems or products, upgrading to EHR technology certified to the 2015 Edition, modifying workflows, and addressing data element mapping, as well as the time allotted for hospitals to incorporate updates to eCQM specifications in 2017,” Goodrich wrote, adding that CMS is also considering a proposal to reduce the number of eCQMs and shorten the reporting period.
Editor's note: This story was update to clarify that CMS extended the deadline for eCQM data.