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Now Available: Quality Data Model (QDM) v5.6 Publication for 2023 Reporting/Performance Period

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has published the Quality Data Model (QDM) version 5.6. The QDM has evolved to be more consistent with data representation in the emerging standard Health Level Seven International® Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources®. CMS will implement support for these features and modifications in the Measure Authoring Tool version 6.10 which was released June 18, 2021 and the Bonnie tool version 5.0.0 which was released July 19, 2021. CMS anticipates using QDM v5.6 in the electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) produced for the 2023 reporting/performance period, whereas eCQMs produced using QDM v5.5 are for the 2022 reporting/performance period.

The QDM v5.6 contains these changes from QDM v5.5:

  • Addition of relatedTo attribute to “Procedure, Performed”, “Medication, Order”, “Medication, Dispensed”, “Encounter, Performed”, “Intervention, Performed”, “Laboratory Test, Performed”, “Diagnostic Study, Performed”, Physical Exam, Performed”
  • Creation of new interpretation attribute for “Laboratory Test, Performed”, “Diagnostic Study, Performed”, and “Assessment, Performed”
  • Creation of new class attribute for “Encounter, Performed”
  • Update all definitions and guidance recommended in the QDM 5.5 Guidance Update May 2020
  • Update Cumulative Medication Duration guidance and examples (section 5.7)
  • Clarify definitions for relevantPeriod for “Medication, Order” and “Medication, Dispensed”
  • Update cardinality for performer and participant attributes from 0..1 to 0..*
  • Update Entities – add Location
  • Fix typographical errors

Additional Information

To join the QDM User Group, visit the Electronic Clinical Quality Improvement (eCQI) Resource Center Events page.

If you have questions about QDM, contact the ESAC, Inc. QDM team at the ONC Project Tracking System (JIRA) QDM project.

Current and past versions of the QDM, QDM User Group meeting information, and Clinical Quality Language (CQL) resources are found on the eCQI Resource Center.

Last Updated: May 24, 2023