Now Available: Program Candidate eCQM Specifications for Potential Inclusion in 2028 Reporting Period for Hospitals - Inpatient

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has posted the electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) specifications for measures proposed for inclusion in the 2028 reporting period for the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting, Promoting Interoperability, and PPS-Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting programs. Measures will not be eligible for 2028 reporting unless and until they are proposed and finalized through notice-and-comment rulemaking for each applicable program.

Where to Find the Program Candidate Measure Information

The eCQM specifications for measures proposed for inclusion in CMS hospital - inpatient programs are available on the Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement (eCQI) Resource Center under the Hospital - Inpatient Program Candidate eCQMs program page.

Quality measures posted to the Program Candidate eCQMs pages have been fully developed but are not yet finalized for reporting in a CMS program. These measures will not be eligible for CMS quality reporting until they are proposed and finalized through notice-and-comment rulemaking for each applicable program. 

eCQM Value Sets, Direct Reference Codes, and Terminology 

The value sets for the 2028 program candidate eCQMs will be available through the National Library of Medicine’s Value Set Authority Center (VSAC) Downloadable Resources page as a complete set as well as per eCQM within the 2027 reporting period resources. The direct reference codes specified within the eCQM HQMF files will also be available in a separate file for download. The 2027 reporting period information will be available in the eCQM Annual Update publication in early May.

For Questions Regarding eCQMs visit the eCQM Issue Tracker. Note that an ONC Project Tracking System (Jira) account is required to submit a question or comment.