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"Encounter, Order"

Performance/Reporting Period
2019
QDM Datatype (QDM Version 5.3):

Data elements that meet criteria using this datatype should document that an order for the encounter indicated by the QDM category and its corresponding value set has been recommended.

Timing: The time the order is signed; Author dateTime.

QDM Category (QDM Version 5.3)

Encounter

Encounter represents an identifiable grouping of healthcare-related activities characterized by the entity relationship between the subject of care and a healthcare provider; such a grouping is determined by the healthcare provider. A patient encounter represents interaction between a healthcare provider and a patient with a face-to-face patient visit to a clinician’s office, or any electronically remote interaction with a clinician for any form of diagnostic treatment or therapeutic event. Encounters can be billable events but are not limited to billable interactions. Each encounter has an associated location or modality within which it occurred (such as an office, home, electronic methods, phone encounter, or telemedicine methods). The encounter location is the patient’s location at the time of measurement. Different levels of interaction can be specified in the value associated with the element while modes of interaction (e.g., telephone) may be modeled using the data flow attribute.

QDM Attributes

authorDateTime

The time the data element was entered into the clinical software. Note, some datatypes include both Relevant Time and Author dateTime attributes. The purpose is to accommodate Author dateTime if the actual start and stop times are not available when evaluating for feasibility, and also to allow specification of a time for Negation Rationale.

facilityLocation

The particular locations in a facility in which the diagnostic study or encounter occurs or occurred. Examples include, but are not limited to, intensive care units (ICUs), non- ICUs, burn critical-care unit, neonatal ICU, and respiratory-care unit. Each Encounter, Performed may have 1 or more locations. For example, a patient treated in multiple locations during an individual encounter might be expressed as: Encounter, Performed: Inpatient Admission, ICU (location period), Non-ICU Admission (location period), Rehab (location period). Facility Location (singular) is used for Adverse Event; Diagnostic Study, Performed; Encounter, Order; Encounter, Recommended.

negationRationale

The QDM attribute, negation rationale indicates the reason that an action was not performed. Only QDM datatypes that represent actions (e.g., performed, recommended, communication, order, dispensed) allow the 'negation rationale' attribute. The intent is to indicate a justification that such action did not happen as expected. This attribute specifically does not address the presence or absence of information in a clinical record (e.g., documented absence of allergies versus lack of documentation about allergies). QDM assumes that any information expected will be in a clinical record. The situation is different when something that normally would be expected to be done is specifically not done because of a valid clinical reason (such as the patient is allergic, they are suffering from a complication, or some other rationale. In this case, the 'thing not done' is rarely documented, especially as a code, in the patient record. To express such lack of evidence, an eCQM author should use a CQL 'not exists' expression noted in the examples, and they must also capture the Negation rationale to capture a reason for the absence, i.e., the reason must be included to qualify as a negation rationale type expression. The syntax in the human readable HQMF is described in CQL examples and in the MAT User Guide. Prior versions of QDM used the syntax, 'Procedure, Performed not done.' QDM 5.5 uses the syntax, 'Procedure, not Performed' and this is then associated with either a DRC or a value set used to identify 'the expected thing,' that in this case was not done. Negation Rationale attribute value indicates a one-time documentation of a reason an activity is not performed. Negation of QDM datatype-related actions for a reason always use the author dateTime attribute to reference timing.

reason

The thought process or justification for the datatype. In some measures, specific treatments are acceptable inclusion criteria only if a justified reason is present. Each of these measures uses a value set (often, but not exclusively, using SNOMED CT) to express acceptable justification reasons. Other measures specify reasons as justification for exclusions. Examples include patient, system, or medical-related reasons for declining to perform specific actions. Each of these measures also uses a value set to express acceptable justification reasons for declining to perform expected actions.
Last Updated: Jul 08, 2021