Glossary

The validity subcriterion assesses whether measure specifications are consistent with the measure intent and capture the most inclusive target population. There are two main types of validity, measure validity and data element validity. Measure validity is when the measure accurately represents the evaluated concept and achieves the intended purpose (to measure quality). Data element validity is the extent to which the data element or code represent the information. 
See also measure validity and data element validity.

A value set is a list of specific values, terms, and their codes, used to describe clinical and administrative concepts in quality measures. Value sets provide groupings of unique values along with a standard description or definition from one or more standard vocabularies used to describe the same clinical concept, e.g., diabetes, clinical visit, demographics, within quality measures. Examples of standard vocabularies used to support effective, interoperable health information exchange include SNOMED CT, RxNorm, and Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes.

A value set expansion is the actual list of codes, calculated using a specified expansion profile of code system versions and any predetermined retired (legacy) codes used with implementation of the value set.

The Virtual Medical Record (vMR) is a data model for representing the data analyzed and/or produced by clinical decision support engines.

Visual Studio Code is an open-source text editor that can expand its utility by installing appropriate extensions. The ‘cqframework.cql’ extension supports highlighting, syntax checking, ad hoc evaluation, test cases, terminology for Clinical Quality Language (CQL), and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources® model validation. This free text editor can be used to facilitate electronic clinical quality measure evaluation and testing using the open source CQL Evaluation Engine.

The Value Set Authority Center (VSAC) is a value set authoring tool and repository. It is the source of truth for value sets for CMS's electronic clinical quality measures. The National Library of Medicine maintains the VSAC and provides access via web browsers and APIs. The VSAC provides downloadable resources for all measure releases that provide full eCQM value sets, the Binding Parameter Specification, and the complete lists of Direct Reference Codes, retired codes, and utilized code systems. The VSAC provides users with tools to search existing value sets, create new value sets, and maintain value set content consistent with current versions of the terminologies they use. Access requires a free Unified Medical Language System License. 

The Value Set Authority Center (VSAC) Collaboration Tool provides a central site where value set authors can post value sets for collaborative discussion. Teams can share threaded discussions about the value sets, view recent value set expansions posted by other value set authors, organize their value sets by usage and by team’s workflow needs, collaborate with other value set authors to harmonize value sets, and receive activity and change notifications from VSAC. Access requires a free Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) license.

The VSAC Support Center is the Help section of the VSAC website. It provides information on how to use the VSAC, specific information for value set authors and stewards (e.g., how to create value sets), and additional information such as release notes and how to use the VSAC Collaboration Tool, and VSAC Application Programming Interface Resources.

The Value Set Authority Center (VSAC) Sharing Value Set (SVS) Application Programming Interface (API) allows the user to retrieve a single value set's expansion, with or without its metadata and definition version, using RetrieveMultipleValueSets and RetrieveValueSet, respectively. It is based on the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) SVS Technical Framework, section 2.2.21 SVS integration Profile and the IHE SVS XML Schema. Access requires a free Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) license.