HL7 vote seeks to standardize EHR quality reporting

Get ready to learn yet another acronym: HQMF. The National Quality Forum and several health IT organizations are asking stakeholders to vote on a draft Health Level Seven standard for EHR-enabled quality reporting, a key component of the proposed HHS definition of "meaningful use" of EHRs.

NQF joined with HL7, AHIMA and Vermont-based consulting firm Alschuler Associates to develop a draft standard called Health Quality Measure Format (HQMF). "Through standardization of a health quality measure's structure, metadata, definitions and logic, the HQMF looks to provide consistency and unambiguous interpretation" Healthcare Informatics reports. HHS is funding development of the standard through a contract with NQF.

For further information:
- read this Healthcare Informatics news brief
- peruse the HL7 draft standard