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"Family History"

Performance/Reporting Period
2025
QDM Datatype (QDM Version 5.6):

To meet criteria using this datatype, the diagnosis/problem indicated by the Family History QDM category and its corresponding value set should reflect a diagnosis/problem of a family member.

Timing: The time the family history item is authored (i.e., entered into the record).

Note: Measure developers suggested that onset age for family history represents one item in a risk assessment for individual patients. Thus, onset age (when the family member developed the condition indicated in the Family History) can be determined using the Assessment, Performed QDM datatype.

QDM Datatype and Definition

Family History

Family History represents a diagnosis or problem experienced by a family member of the patient. Typically, a family history will not contain very much detail, but the simple identification of a diagnosis or problem in the patient’s family history may be relevant to the care of the patient. If a relationship is specified, codes from the HL7 Personal Relationship Role Type value set (2.16.840.1.113883.1.11.19563) should be used to ensure compatibility with QRDA reporting constraints.
QDM Attributes

authorDateTime

The time the data element was entered into the clinical software. Note, some datatypes include both relevant dateTime and author dateTime attributes. When both are present, author dateTime is included to accommodate negation rationale.

The author dateTime addresses when an activity is documented. Documentation can occur at the beginning, during, at the end, or subsequent to the end of the activity. The author dateTime should be used only if the relevantPeriod cannot be obtained or to represent the time negation rationale is documented.

Note: negation rationale 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 and must not use relevantPeriod.

recorder

The recorder indicates who recorded (or documented) the information (e.g., the individual or organization documenting the information). Note that FHIR modeling includes reference to asserter for concepts such as diagnosis and allergy/intolerance. Feedback from implementers and EHR vendors suggest that asserter fields default to the individual entering the information without clear evidence about how often clinicians change the default to the person who reported the information. Therefore, QDM retains a recorder attribute for the referenced QDM datatypes.

The prescriber attribute references the new QDM entities (Patient, Care Partner, Practitioner, or Organization) and any or all of the attributes of the respective QDM entity. For example, to reference that a physician who recorded a diagnosis is the same person who was the primary participant in an "Encounter, Performed" and to assure the physician’s specialty meets the measure’s requirements, the eCQM can use the Practitioner entity and its attributes. Should the eCQM choose to reference a physician practice or a hospital, the performer can reference the Organization entity and indicate the identifier and/or the organization type.

[See Section 2.6 for description of QDM entities]

relationship

The relationship of the family member or related person to the patient. To ensure compatibility with QRDA reporting constraints, relationship codes should come from the HL7 Personal Relationship Role Type value set (2.16.840.1.113883.1.11.19563).
Last Updated: Jun 26, 2024