Define the Numerator and Numerator Exclusions

The numerator statement describes the process, condition, event, or outcome that satisfies the measure’s focus or intent. The numerator statement includes parameters such as the

  • Event or events that will satisfy the numerator inclusion criteria
  • Performance period or time interval in which the numerator event must occur, if it is different from that used for identifying the denominator

Format: Patients who received/had [measure focus] {during [time frame] if different than for target/initial population}

Examples 

  • Patients with documented spirometry results in the medical record (FEV1 and FEV1/FVC) (CMIT Family ID 00131) (CMS CBE# 0091)
  • Patients with a suicide risk assessment completed during the visit in which a new diagnosis or recurrent episode was identified (CMIT Member ID 30) (CMS CBE #0104e)

Numerator Exclusion 

The measure developer should use numerator exclusions only in ratio and proportion measures to define elements excluded from the numerator data. 

Example

  • If the number of central line bloodstream infections per 1,000 catheter days were to exclude infections with a specific bacterium, the measure developer would list that bacterium as a numerator exclusion.
Last Updated: