Now Available: Updated 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. QDM v5.6 is intended for use with Clinical Quality Language (CQL) for developing electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) for the calendar year 2023 reporting/performance period.

QDM 5.6 contains these changes:

• 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 Entities – add Location, add location and organization attributes for Practitioner, location for Organization

The QDM will continue to evolve based on stakeholder input and feedback from the QDM User Group.

Additional Information

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

If you have questions about QDM, visit the ONC Project Tracking System (Jira) QDM project.

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