Frequently Asked Questions

The electronic Clinical Quality Improvement (eCQI) Resource Center is a website that provides a centralized “one-stop shop” for measure developers, measure stewards, health IT developers, and providers engaged in electronic quality improvement. The eCQI Resource Center contains resources and information put forth by federal agencies: the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC), the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and provides links to external functional tools to meet the needs of stakeholders throughout their eCQI efforts.

The eCQI Resource Center currently includes:

• A list of electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) and their specifications
• Links to tools for measure development, testing, and certification
• Event listings and announcements related to eCQMs and eCQI
• Ability to easily search for eCQI topics

The eCQI Resource Center is expected to evolve over time. Check back for new features and updates.

You can find resources that can be used at various stages of eCQM development, testing, certification, implementation, reporting, continuous evaluation of eCQMs and information about standards and tools to support eCQI, including CDS. The eCQI Resource Center also supports users looking for links to external resources related to eCQMs and data reporting, like ONC JIRA issue trackers, the Measure Authoring Tool (MAT), Value Set Authority Center (VSAC), and the National Quality Strategy resources.

If you are new to the eCQI community, begin with the “Getting Started” page, which includes an introduction and overview of eCQMs, as well as the latest updates and a list of upcoming events. If you are more familiar with eCQI, explore our four interest areas:

• eCQMs and Specifications — Current and historical postings
• Quality Data Model — Describes clinical concepts in a standardized format to enable electronic clinical quality measurement
• eCQM Tools — Bonnie, MAT, JIRA issue trackers, Cypress, United States Health Information Knowledgebase (USHIK), VSAC
• eCQI Standards — Quality Reporting Data Architecture (QRDA), Health Quality Measures Format (HQMF), and harmonization efforts

On each of those pages, you will find links, tools, and information relevant to the topic identified. You will also find the most recent tables of measures and descriptions, and links to tools like ONC JIRA issue trackers, Bonnie, and Cypress.

To keep up with the latest developments about the eCQI Resource Center and federally funded eCQI initiatives, check the “Latest News” section of the resource center homepage, where we will post regular updates about changes to the eCQI Resource Center.

Please send any questions you have about the eCQI Resource Center to ecqi-resource-center@hhs.gov.

If you have a specific question about electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) logic, implementation, or testing, please submit it through the ONC JIRA issue tracker. For more information about using JIRA, please visit the eCQM Tools & Resources page.

The eCQI Resource Center will be constantly improving to better meet the needs of its users, and we are counting on your input to make it as useful as possible. Please send your feedback or suggestions to ecqi-resource-center@hhs.gov.

The eCQI Resource Center website is sponsored and maintained as a joint effort between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The eCQI Resource Center was launched in spring 2015. Additional information and features will be released as the eCQI Resource Center continues to evolve. We encourage you to check back for new features or register your email address to receive notifications about site updates.

The eCQI Resource Center is designed to be the single source of information related to electronic clinical quality improvement initiatives, including eCQMs and the tools used to support their development, testing and reporting. The eCQI Resource Center draws from existing resources wherever possible to minimize duplication of resources and efforts across programs and websites. Over time, the eCQI Resource Center will be updated and improved with additional features that are not currently available on CMS.gov, HealthIT.gov, and other websites. This will include interactive features and landing pages tailored by audience and by topic.

Our goal is to provide the most up-to-date information on this website. Please let us know if you find similar but conflicting information about these programs on other federal websites or if you have suggestions for materials to add to the eCQI Resource Center.

The eCQI Resource Center your “one-stop shop” for engaging in electronic quality improvement. You can find information on the eCQI Resource Center to support development, testing, certification, implementation, and continuous evaluation of eCQMs. You can easily find eCQI tools and information on how to use them, program and policy requirements, educational events, and regular updates related to eCQMs and eCQI initiatives.

On the eCQI Resource Center site, select the “Login” button in the upper right of the screen above the blue task bar. This opens the Log In page, under the Username box select the link that reads: “If you don't have an username, create an account.” Request an account by providing your desired Username, E-mail Address, and the Display Name you wish to use on the site. You will be asked to complete a security question to keep the site and your access secure. New account requests go through an approval process which may take a few days for you to receive notification of approval. Once approved, you will receive a response via the e-mail address you provided that will contain confirmation of approval and a link to log in where you will create your account password.

Users with active accounts can subscribe to spaces of interest. Subscribing to a space provides the user with notifications via email when content is added or changed in that space. To subscribe to a space of interest, navigate to the webpage which is of interest e.g. eCQM Tools, QDM, QRDA, etc. Select the “Request space membership” link on the upper right-hand side of the page. Note: not all pages allow for space subscriptions. A verification page will open, provide a response and select the “Join” button. You will be returned back to the space of interest and will see that the “Request space membership” link has been replaced by an “Unsubscribe from space” link. Use the unsubscribe link if you wish to stop receiving notifications.