DEQM IG

The Health Level Seven International® (HL7®) Data Exchange for Quality Measures (DEQM) Implementation Guide (IG) provides standards for sharing healthcare quality information using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources® (FHIR®). It defines how systems can exchange digital quality measure (dQM) data in a consistent and interoperable way. For example, it supports the electronic transfer of quality reporting data from healthcare providers to payers and other organizations.

The DEQM IG supports multiple reporting scenarios, including:

• Individual reporting (data for a single patient)
• Subject list reporting (lists of patients meeting certain criteria)
• Summary reporting (aggregate results for a provider or organization)
• Gaps in care reporting (identifying patients who may need recommended services)

The DEQM Individual MeasureReport profile is designed as a FHIR-based alternative to the Quality Reporting Document Architecture (QRDA) Category I format for patient-level reporting. The DEQM Summary MeasureReport profile serves as a FHIR-based alternative to QRDA Category III for aggregate reporting.

The guide is maintained by HL7’s Clinical Quality Information (CQI) Work Group through an established standards development and balloting process. Updates are coordinated with related IGs, including the Quality Measure IG and the Quality Improvement Core (QI-Core) IG, to ensure alignment across quality measurement standards.