The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has established a formal electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) addendum process for eCQMs used in the hospital - inpatient, hospital - outpatient, and eligible clinician quality reporting programs. This process will support the timely resolution of high-impact issues identified after publication of the eCQM annual update release.

Through the eCQM addendum process, CMS may provide updates to published measure specifications and/or supporting documentation without requiring republication of the full annual update. Addenda may be used to correct technical errors; clarify implementation guidance; or address issues that significantly affect measure calculation, reporting, or implementation.

An addendum will be considered only when:

• The issue prevents accurate measure calculation or reporting or substantially affects the intended clinical intent of the measure.
• The issue is driven by an urgent public health or external need.
• The issue has a significant impact on implementer interpretation, burden, or usability.

Addenda will be published at least 90 days before the applicable reporting/performance period. For annual reporting programs, this generally means before September 30. 

Addendum for Eligible Clinician eCQM CMS22v15

The first issue to follow the new addendum process is eCQM Known Issue #48 (EKI-48). This EKI relates to CMS22v15 – Preventive Care and Screening: Screening for High Blood Pressure and Follow Up Documented for the 2027 performance period.  The numerator logic interval syntax error that caused patients with a diastolic blood pressure of exactly 80 mmHg to be included in multiple numerator subgroups has been corrected.  The measure specification has a minor version update where the logic is corrected and is posted on the eCQI Resource Center. 

For questions regarding this eCQM visit the eCQM Issue Tracker. Note that an ONC Project Tracking System (Jira) account is required to ask a question or comment.