eCQM QICore Content Implementation Guide
2024.0.0 - CI Build

eCQM QICore Content Implementation Guide, published by cqframework. This guide is not an authorized publication; it is the continuous build for version 2024.0.0 built by the FHIR (HL7® FHIR® Standard) CI Build. This version is based on the current content of https://github.com/cqframework/ecqm-content-qicore-2024/ and changes regularly. See the Directory of published versions

Measure: Emergency Care Capacity and Quality (REHQR) FHIR

Official URL: https://madie.cms.gov/Measure/CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Version: 0.3.001
Active as of 2026-03-13 Responsible: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Computable Name: CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR
Other Identifiers: Short Name: CMS1264FHIR (use: usual, ), UUID:eb3e269b-97ef-4548-9e87-c89b25789184 (use: official, ), UUID:2074450c-e3eb-49a0-bc87-0f63344a1962 (use: official, ), Publisher: 1264FHIR (use: official, )

Copyright/Legal: Limited proprietary coding is contained in these specifications for user convenience. Users of proprietary code sets should obtain all necessary licenses from the owners of the code sets.

This material contains SNOMED Clinical Terms(R) (SNOMED CT[R]) copyright 2004-2024 International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation. All rights reserved.

ICD-10 copyright 2024 World Health Organization. All Rights Reserved.

CPT(R) contained in the measure specifications is copyright 2004-2024 American Medical Association.

This measure assesses the variation in capacity and quality of emergency care to support rural emergency hospital (REH) quality improvement for patients requiring emergency care in an emergency department (ED). This measure is designed to align with incentives to promote improved care both in EDs and the broader health system to help identify where patients do not receive appropriate or timely access to emergency care.

Emergency care capacity and quality gaps are inclusive of several concepts pertaining to boarding and crowding in an ED, including significantly longer ED wait times, higher left without being seen rates, longer boarding times, and longer total length of stay in the ED.

UNKNOWN

Title: Emergency Care Capacity and Quality (REHQR) FHIR
Id: CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR
Version: 0.3.001
Url: Emergency Care Capacity and Quality (REHQR) FHIR
Short Name Identifier:

CMS1264FHIR

Version Independent Identifier:

urn:uuid:eb3e269b-97ef-4548-9e87-c89b25789184

Version Specific Identifier:

urn:uuid:2074450c-e3eb-49a0-bc87-0f63344a1962

Publisher (CMS) Identifier:

1264FHIR

Effective Period: 2026-01-01..2026-12-31
Publisher: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Author: Acumen, LLC
Description:

This measure assesses the variation in capacity and quality of emergency care to support rural emergency hospital (REH) quality improvement for patients requiring emergency care in an emergency department (ED). This measure is designed to align with incentives to promote improved care both in EDs and the broader health system to help identify where patients do not receive appropriate or timely access to emergency care.

Emergency care capacity and quality gaps are inclusive of several concepts pertaining to boarding and crowding in an ED, including significantly longer ED wait times, higher left without being seen rates, longer boarding times, and longer total length of stay in the ED.

Purpose:

UNKNOWN

Copyright:

Limited proprietary coding is contained in these specifications for user convenience. Users of proprietary code sets should obtain all necessary licenses from the owners of the code sets.

This material contains SNOMED Clinical Terms(R) (SNOMED CT[R]) copyright 2004-2024 International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation. All rights reserved.

ICD-10 copyright 2024 World Health Organization. All Rights Reserved.

CPT(R) contained in the measure specifications is copyright 2004-2024 American Medical Association.

Disclaimer:

These performance specifications are not clinical guidelines, do not establish a standard of medical care, and have not been tested for all potential applications.

THE MEASURES AND SPECIFICATIONS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

Due to technical limitations, registered trademarks are indicated by (R) or [R] and unregistered trademarks are indicated by (TM) or [TM].

Rationale:

This measure aims to reduce patient harm and improve outcomes for patients requiring emergency care in an ED by addressing the variation in emergency care and measuring the capacity and quality of emergency care. There are long-standing concerns about parameters that impact the quality and timeliness of care in the ED. Currently, there are no national metrics to assess the proportion of patients impacted by the quality of timely ED care.

Clinical recommendation statement:

Changes in care provision and workflow are anticipated from implementing this Emergency Care Capacity and Quality (ECCQ) REH eCQM. To improve time to place a patient in a treatment space (as defined by the numerator below), changes in care may include improving patient flow processes, triaging interventions (such as inclusion of predictive models or different clinical deployment), or increased availability and access to outpatient clinical and social services. Other changes in care may include increases in local healthcare capacity including mental health care (mental health liaisons, co-located mental health services, or specialist psychiatry services), and use of ‘hospital home’ care models. Furthermore, changes to the following may also be considered: staffing models, ED observation units, diagnostic testing and imaging processes, or physical changes to ED layout.

Such changes may result in the following: decreased waiting room time, decreased door to provider times, higher proportion of patients seen within 1 hour, decrease in proportion of patients who leave without being evaluated, better management of mental health diagnoses, reduced length of stay in the ED, decreased turnaround time for diagnostic tests and imaging, improved time to treatment, and decreased ambulance diversion.

Changes in clinician or patient-reported outcomes and costs may include the following: improved patient experience, decrease in morbidity and mortality, increased ED revenue, and improved patient outcomes.

Guidance (Usage): Measure Score Calculation The measure score is calculated at the individual ED level as the proportion of ED visits where any one of the four outcomes occurred, as defined by the numerator. For CMS Certification Numbers (CCNs) with more than one ED, scores are combined as a weighted average for that CCN. This eCQM is an episode-based measure. An episode is defined as an ED visit that ends during the measurement period. This FHIR-based measure has been derived from the QDM-based measure: CMS1264v1. Please refer to the HL7 QI-Core Implementation Guide (https://hl7.org/fhir/us/qicore/STU4.1.1/) for more information on QI-Core and mapping recommendations from QDM to QI-Core 4.1.1 (https://hl7.org/fhir/us/qicore/STU4.1.1/qdm-to-qicore.html).
Population Criteria: Stratifier Criteria:
6758b76046b6174510cfef6e
Initial Population: All ED visits at REHs that end during the measurement period for all patients.
Denominator: Equals Initial Population
Numerator: The numerator is comprised of any ED visit in the denominator with any quality gap in access; if the patient experiences any of the following during a visit, the visit is included in the numerator: 1. The patient waited longer than 60 minutes (1 hour) after arrival to ED to be placed in a treatment room or dedicated treatment area that allows for audiovisual privacy during history-taking and physical examination, or 2. The patient left the ED without being evaluated, or 3. The patient, if transferred, boarded for longer than 240 minutes (4 hours), or 4. The patient had an ED length of stay (LOS) (time from ED arrival to ED departure as defined by the ED departure timestamp indicating when the patient physically left the ED) of longer than 480 minutes (8 hours). ED encounters with ED observation stays are excluded from criteria #3 (boarded) and #4 (ED LOS)
Stratum: All patients aged less than 18 years seen in the ED who do not have an ED encounter principal diagnosis consistent with mental health diagnosis. Patients who have an ED encounter principal diagnosis consistent with substance use disorders will be included in this stratification.
Stratum: All patients aged 18 years and older seen in the ED who do not have an ED encounter principal diagnosis consistent with mental health diagnosis. Patients who have an ED encounter principal diagnosis consistent with substance use disorders will be included in this stratification.
Stratum: All patients aged less than 18 years seen in the ED who have an ED encounter principal diagnosis consistent with mental health diagnosis.
Stratum: All patients aged 18 years and older seen in the ED who have an ED encounter principal diagnosis consistent with mental health diagnosis.
Supplemental Data Elements:

SDE Ethnicity

SDE Payer

SDE Race

SDE Sex

SDE Address

Supplemental Data Guidance : For every patient evaluated by this measure also identify payer, race, ethnicity and sex
Libraries:
CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR
Terminology and Other Dependencies:
  • Library/SupplementalDataElements|3.5.000
  • Library/FHIRHelpers|4.4.000
  • Library/CQMCommon|2.2.000
  • Library/QICoreCommon|2.1.000
  • AdministrativeGender
  • SNOMED CT (all versions)
  • Diagnosis Role
  • Emergency Department Visit
  • http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1046.279
  • http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1046.284
  • http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1046.278
  • http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1046.286
  • http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1170.22
  • http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1046.285
  • Payer
  • Parameters:
    name use min max type
    Measurement Period In 0 1 Period
    SDE Sex Out 0 1 Coding
    Numerator Out 0 * Resource
    Stratification 1: Pediatric With No Mental Health Diagnosis Out 0 * Resource
    Denominator Out 0 * Resource
    Stratification 4: Adult With Mental Health Diagnosis Out 0 * Resource
    Stratification 2: Adult With No Mental Health Diagnosis Out 0 * Resource
    SDE Payer Out 0 * Resource
    Initial Population Out 0 * Resource
    Stratification 3: Pediatric With Mental Health Diagnosis Out 0 * Resource
    SDE Ethnicity Out 0 1 Resource
    SDE Race Out 0 1 Resource
    DataRequirements:
    Resource Type Resource Elements Valueset Name Valueset
    Patient(QICorePatient) ethnicity race
    Encounter(QICoreEncounter) type period location location.type status status.value rank rank.value use condition condition.reference condition.reference.value Emergency Department Evaluation and Management Visit Emergency Department Visit
    Encounter(QICoreEncounter) type period location location.type status status.value rank rank.value use condition condition.reference condition.reference.value Triage http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1046.279
    Encounter(QICoreEncounter) type period hospitalization hospitalization.dischargeDisposition location location.type status status.value rank rank.value use condition condition.reference condition.reference.value Triage http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1046.279
    Encounter(QICoreEncounter) type period status status.value location location.type rank rank.value use condition condition.reference condition.reference.value Emergency Department Evaluation and Management Visit Emergency Department Visit
    Encounter(QICoreEncounter) type period status status.value location location.type rank rank.value use condition condition.reference condition.reference.value Emergency Department Observation http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1170.22
    Location(QICoreLocation) id id.value
    ServiceRequest(QICoreServiceRequest) code authoredOn authoredOn.value intent intent.value status status.value Decision to Transfer http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1046.286
    ServiceRequest(QICoreServiceRequest) code authoredOn authoredOn.value status status.value Emergency Department Observation http://cts.nlm.nih.gov/fhir/ValueSet/2.16.840.1.113762.1.4.1170.22
    Condition(QICoreCondition) id id.value
    Coverage(QICoreCoverage) type period Payer Type Payer
    Direct Reference Codes:
    display code system
    Male M http://hl7.org/fhir/administrative-gender
    Female F http://hl7.org/fhir/administrative-gender
    Patient left without being seen (finding) 21541000119102 http://snomed.info/sct
    Billing billing http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/diagnosis-role
    Logic Definitions:
    Group Scoring Population Criteria Expression
    6758b76046b6174510cfef6e Group scoring: proportion
    Type:

    Outcome

    Rate Aggregation: None
    Improvement Notation:

    Decreased score indicates improvement

    Initial Population
    define "Initial Population":
      "ED Encounter"
        union "ED Triage"
    Denominator
    define "Denominator":
      "Initial Population"
    Numerator
    define "Numerator":
      "Time to Treatment Room Greater Than 60 Minutes"
        union "ED Arrival Left Without Being Seen"
        union "Boarded Time Greater Than 240 Minutes and No Observation Stay"
        union "ED Length of Stay Greater Than 480 Minutes and No Observation Stay"
    Library Name Name
    SupplementalDataElements SDE Sex
    define "SDE Sex":
      case
        when Patient.gender = 'male' then "M"
        when Patient.gender = 'female' then "F"
        else null
      end
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR SDE Sex
    define "SDE Sex":
      SDE."SDE Sex"
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Encounter
    define "ED Encounter":
      [Encounter: "Emergency Department Evaluation and Management Visit"] EDEncounter
        where EDEncounter.period ends during day of "Measurement Period"
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Triage
    define "ED Triage":
      [Encounter: "Triage"] EDTriage
        where EDTriage.period ends during day of "Measurement Period"
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Initial Population
    define "Initial Population":
      "ED Encounter"
        union "ED Triage"
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Denominator
    define "Denominator":
      "Initial Population"
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Time to Treatment Room Greater Than 60 Minutes
    define "Time to Treatment Room Greater Than 60 Minutes":
      "Denominator" EDEncounter
        where "EDArrivalTime"(EDEncounter) 61 minutes or more before "EDTreatmentRoomTimeArrivalTime"(EDEncounter)
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Arrival Left Without Being Seen
    define "ED Arrival Left Without Being Seen":
      "ED Triage" EDTriage
        where EDTriage.hospitalization.dischargeDisposition ~ "Patient left without being seen (finding)"
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Boarded Time Greater Than 240 Minutes
    define "Boarded Time Greater Than 240 Minutes":
      "Denominator" EDEncounter
        where "TransferDecisionUsingOrder"() 241 minutes or more before "EDDepartureTime"(EDEncounter)
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Observation Encounter Status
    define "ED Observation Encounter Status":
      [Encounter: "Emergency Department Observation"] EDObsEncounter
        with "Denominator" EDEncounter
          such that start of EDObsEncounter.period during EDEncounter.period
            and EDEncounter.status = 'finished'
            and EDObsEncounter.status = 'finished'
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Observation Order Status
    define "ED Observation Order Status":
      [ServiceRequest: code in "Emergency Department Observation"] EDObsOrder
        with "Denominator" EDEncounter
          such that EDObsOrder.authoredOn during EDEncounter.period
            and EDEncounter.status = 'finished'
            and EDObsOrder.status = 'active'
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Observation Status
    define "ED Observation Status":
      ( "ED Observation Encounter Status"
        union "ED Observation Order Status" ) EDObservation
        with "Denominator" EDStay
          such that EDObservation.period during EDStay.period
            or ( EDObservation.authoredOn during EDStay.period )
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Boarded Time Greater Than 240 Minutes and No Observation Stay
    define "Boarded Time Greater Than 240 Minutes and No Observation Stay":
      ( "Boarded Time Greater Than 240 Minutes" Boarding
          where not exists ( "ED Observation Status" EDO
              where ( EDO.period starts during Boarding.period
                  or EDO.authoredOn during Boarding.period
              )
          )
      )
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Length of Stay Greater Than 480 Minutes
    define "ED Length of Stay Greater Than 480 Minutes":
      "Denominator" EDEncounter
        where "EDArrivalTime"(EDEncounter) 481 minutes or more before "EDDepartureTime"(EDEncounter)
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Length of Stay Greater Than 480 Minutes and No Observation Stay
    define "ED Length of Stay Greater Than 480 Minutes and No Observation Stay":
      ( "ED Length of Stay Greater Than 480 Minutes" EDStay
          where not exists ( "ED Observation Status" EDO
              where ( EDO.period starts during EDStay.period
                  or EDO.authoredOn during EDStay.period
              )
          )
      )
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Numerator
    define "Numerator":
      "Time to Treatment Room Greater Than 60 Minutes"
        union "ED Arrival Left Without Being Seen"
        union "Boarded Time Greater Than 240 Minutes and No Observation Stay"
        union "ED Length of Stay Greater Than 480 Minutes and No Observation Stay"
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Encounter or Triage of Patients Less Than 18 Years
    define "ED Encounter or Triage of Patients Less Than 18 Years":
      "Denominator" EDEncounter
        where AgeInYearsAt(date from start of EDEncounter.period) < 18
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Stratification 1: Pediatric With No Mental Health Diagnosis
    define "Stratification 1: Pediatric With No Mental Health Diagnosis":
      ( "ED Encounter or Triage of Patients Less Than 18 Years" EDEncounter
          let ConditionCode: EDEncounter.principalDiagnosis ( ).code
          where not ( ConditionCode in "Mental Health Diagnosis without Substance Use Disorders" )
      )
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR ED Encounter or Triage of Patients 18 Years and Older
    define "ED Encounter or Triage of Patients 18 Years and Older":
      "Denominator" EDEncounter
        where AgeInYearsAt(date from start of EDEncounter.period) >= 18
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Stratification 4: Adult With Mental Health Diagnosis
    define "Stratification 4: Adult With Mental Health Diagnosis":
      ( "ED Encounter or Triage of Patients 18 Years and Older" EDEncounter
          let ConditionCode: EDEncounter.principalDiagnosis ( ).code
          where ( ConditionCode in "Mental Health Diagnosis without Substance Use Disorders" )
      )
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Stratification 2: Adult With No Mental Health Diagnosis
    define "Stratification 2: Adult With No Mental Health Diagnosis":
      ( "ED Encounter or Triage of Patients 18 Years and Older" EDEncounter
          let ConditionCode: EDEncounter.principalDiagnosis ( ).code
          where not ( ConditionCode in "Mental Health Diagnosis without Substance Use Disorders" )
      )
    Library Name Name
    SupplementalDataElements SDE Payer
    define "SDE Payer":
      [Coverage: type in "Payer Type"] Payer
        return {
          code: Payer.type,
          period: Payer.period
        }
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR SDE Payer
    define "SDE Payer":
      SDE."SDE Payer"
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR Stratification 3: Pediatric With Mental Health Diagnosis
    define "Stratification 3: Pediatric With Mental Health Diagnosis":
      ( "ED Encounter or Triage of Patients Less Than 18 Years" EDEncounter
          let ConditionCode: EDEncounter.principalDiagnosis ( ).code
          where ( ConditionCode in "Mental Health Diagnosis without Substance Use Disorders" )
      )
    Library Name Name
    SupplementalDataElements SDE Ethnicity
    define "SDE Ethnicity":
      Patient.ethnicity E
        return Tuple {
          codes: { E.ombCategory } union E.detailed,
          display: E.text
        }
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR SDE Ethnicity
    define "SDE Ethnicity":
      SDE."SDE Ethnicity"
    Library Name Name
    SupplementalDataElements SDE Race
    define "SDE Race":
      Patient.race R
        return Tuple {
          codes: R.ombCategory union R.detailed,
          display: R.text
        }
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR SDE Race
    define "SDE Race":
      SDE."SDE Race"
    Library Name Name
    FHIRHelpers ToInterval
    /*
    @description: Converts the given [Period](https://hl7.org/fhir/datatypes.html#Period)
    value to a CQL DateTime Interval
    @comment: If the start value of the given period is unspecified, the starting
    boundary of the resulting interval will be open (meaning the start of the interval
    is unknown, as opposed to interpreted as the beginning of time).
    */
    define function ToInterval(period FHIR.Period):
        if period is null then
            null
        else
            if period."start" is null then
                Interval(period."start".value, period."end".value]
            else
                Interval[period."start".value, period."end".value]
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR EDArrivalTime
    define function "EDArrivalTime"(EDEncounter Encounter):
      Last(EDEncounter.location Location
          where Location.location.getLocation().type in "Emergency Department Location"
            and start of Location.period is not null
          return start of Location.period
          sort ascending
      )
    Library Name Name
    CQMCommon getLocation
    /*
    @description: Returns the Location resource specified by the given reference.
    */
    define fluent function getLocation(reference Reference ):
      singleton from (
        [Location] L where L.id = reference.reference.getId()
      )
    Library Name Name
    QICoreCommon getId
    /*
    @description: Returns the tail of the given uri (i.e. everything after the last slash in the URI).
    @comment: This function can be used to determine the logical id of a given resource. It can be used in
    a single-server environment to trace references. However, this function does not attempt to resolve
    or distinguish the base of the given url, and so cannot be used safely in multi-server environments.
    */
    define fluent function getId(uri String):
      Last(Split(uri, '/'))
    Library Name Name
    FHIRHelpers ToConcept
    /*
    @description: Converts the given FHIR [CodeableConcept](https://hl7.org/fhir/datatypes.html#CodeableConcept) value to a CQL Concept.
    */
    define function ToConcept(concept FHIR.CodeableConcept):
        if concept is null then
            null
        else
            System.Concept {
                codes: concept.coding C return ToCode(C),
                display: concept.text.value
            }
    Library Name Name
    FHIRHelpers ToCode
    /*
    @description: Converts the given FHIR [Coding](https://hl7.org/fhir/datatypes.html#Coding) value to a CQL Code.
    */
    define function ToCode(coding FHIR.Coding):
        if coding is null then
            null
        else
            System.Code {
              code: coding.code.value,
              system: coding.system.value,
              version: coding.version.value,
              display: coding.display.value
            }
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR EDTreatmentRoomTimeArrivalTime
    define function "EDTreatmentRoomTimeArrivalTime"(EDEncounter Encounter):
      Last(EDEncounter.location Location
          where Location.location.getLocation().type in "Emergency Department Treatment Location"
            and start of Location.period is not null
          return start of Location.period
          sort ascending
      )
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR TransferDecisionUsingOrder
    define function "TransferDecisionUsingOrder"():
      Last([ServiceRequest: code in "Decision to Transfer"] TransferOrder
          with [Encounter: "Emergency Department Evaluation and Management Visit"] EDVisit
            such that TransferOrder.authoredOn during EDVisit.period
              and TransferOrder.intent = 'order'
              and TransferOrder.status = 'completed'
              and EDVisit.status = 'finished'
          return TransferOrder.authoredOn
          sort ascending
      )
    Library Name Name
    CMS1264ECCQREHQRFHIR EDDepartureTime
    define function "EDDepartureTime"(EDEncounter Encounter):
      Last(EDEncounter.location Location
          where Location.location.getLocation().type in "Emergency Department Location"
            and 
            end of Location.period is not null
          return 
          end of Location.period
          sort ascending
      )
    Library Name Name
    CQMCommon principalDiagnosis
    /*
    @description: Returns the condition that is specified as the principal diagnosis for the encounter
    */
    define fluent function principalDiagnosis(Encounter Encounter ):
    	singleton from ((Encounter.diagnosis D where D.rank = 1 and D.use ~ "Billing") PD
          return singleton from ([Condition] C where C.id = PD.condition.reference.getId())
    	)
    Library Name Name
    FHIRHelpers ToString
    define function ToString(value uri): value.value