CMS QRDA Pre-Submission Validation Tools

The CMS Quality Reporting Document Architecture (QRDA) Pre-Submission Validation Tools are software resources designed to help healthcare providers, health information technology (IT) vendors, and reporting organizations verify the accuracy and compliance of their electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) submissions before formally submitting them to CMS. By acting as a pre-submission check, these tools help ensure that eCQM QRDA files meet CMS standards, reducing errors, saving time, and supporting reliable quality reporting.

CMS-supported validation tools include:

• Cypress: Ensures accurate, standardized, and compliant eCQM reporting, reducing the risk of rejected submissions and improving data quality for CMS quality reporting programs. Cypress validates both QRDA Category I (patient-level) and Category III (aggregate-level) files for compliance.
• Hospital Quality Reporting System (HQR): Checks QRDA Category I (patient-level) files for adherence to CMS standards and Health Level Seven International® (HL7®) specifications. It provides reports and guidance to help hospitals identify and correct errors prior to submission.