If you were just getting used to CMS' electronic clinical quality measures, get ready for its annual update after the federal government recently announced measure changes for the 2016 reporting period. 

Providers will use these revised CQMs to electronically report 2016 quality data for the Physician Quality Reporting System, Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, along with the EHR Incentive Programs. According to an update from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT, 29 measures have been updated for eligible hospitals, and 64 measures have been updated for providers. You can see them here. The 64 updated CQMs for providers are in the PDF below. 

According to ONC officials, the new measures will be certified using the open-source Cypress testing tool. 

CMS is also proposing that the 2016 reporting period for CQMs be based on the calendar year for hospitals and providers. Moreover, the Hospital IQR Program, specifically, is proposing a change to its CQM submission period from annually to quarterly. 

The updated specifications have been re-specified using QDM 4.1.2.