Explore these resources to get an overview of CQL and learn how to develop, test, and implement CQL.
- Visit the CQL Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page to review common questions and answers.
- Find the QDM versions for use with Clinical Quality Language (CQL) on the QDM page.
- Visit the Connect tab to find out how to connect to various CQL resources and register for upcoming CQL sessions.
CQL Tools and Resources for Implementers and Authors
| Tool/Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Clinical Quality Framework | The Clinical Quality Framework is a joint effort by the Clinical Decision Support and Clinical Quality Information Work Groups to identify, develop, and harmonize standards that promote integration and reuse between Clinical Decision Support (CDS) and Clinical Quality Measurement (CQM). |
| CQL Formatting and Usage Wiki | The Clinical Quality Language (CQL) Formatting and Usage Wiki is a collaborative, community-driven workspace dedicated to the development and sharing of CQL formatting conventions, coding patterns, and best practices. It serves as a central resource for measure developers, health information technology (IT) implementers, and clinical informaticists to standardize how CQL logic is represented within electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) and other clinical decision support artifacts. The Wiki provides practical guidance on writing clear, consistent, and maintainable CQL, including examples, templates, and usage recommendations, helping ensure that quality measure logic is accurately interpreted, interoperable, and easier to implement across different health IT systems. |
| CQL GitHub Repository | This repository contains documentation, examples, and tooling in support of the CQL specification, including a CQL compiler and ELM runtime, including:
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| CQL-to-ELM Translator Reference Implementation | The CQL-to-ELM Translator is an open-source reference implementation that translates the high-level Clinical Quality Language (CQL) syntax into the Expression Logical Model (ELM) representation. The reference implementation is used in support of Clinical Quality Framework implementations as a tool to enable CQL output to be uniformly and automatically translated into ELM XML or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) documents for sharing and distribution to support implementation, integration, translation, and execution of CQL-based artifacts. For more information or to get involved, visit the Clinical Quality Framework initiative page. |
| MADiE | Measure Authoring Development Integrated Environment (MADiE) is a software tool that makes creating and testing electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs)/digital quality measures (dQMs) easier by combining both steps in one application. MADiE allows eCQM developers to author eCQMs using Quality Improvement (QI)-Core, the Quality Data Model (QDM), and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources® (FHIR®) to test and verify eCQM behavior. MADiE helps eCQM developers execute eCQM logic against the constructed test cases to provide users with information to evaluate if the eCQM logic aligns with the intent of the eCQM. |
| QDM-based CQL Style Guide | The Quality Data Model (QDM)-based Clinical Quality Language (CQL) Style Guide provides standardized expressions of electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) concepts across eCQMs and defines a uniform “look and feel” to eCQM logic. The QDM-based CQL Style Guide focuses on a set of common best practices that have been implemented across QDM-based eCQMs in CMS quality reporting programs. The QDM-based CQL Style Guide also promotes the use of consistent language within the framework of CQL, including libraries, aliases, definitions, and functions, and provides guidance on other conventions, such as operator precedence. eCQM stewards or developers who are developing or specifying eCQMs for potential inclusion in CMS reporting programs should follow these best practices. |