The 2014 criteria requires that eligible professionals (EP's) report on a total of 9 clinical quality measures.  CMS has created a list of recommended core criteria for both adult and pediatric practices; however it is not required that the provider select all of these recommended criteria for reporting.  

Each EP is required to select 9 clinical quality measures and they must cover at least 3 of the National Quality Strategy domains.

An additional requirement for 2014 is that all Medicare eligible providers must electronically report their clinical quality measures to CMS.  Medicaid EP's that are eligible only for the Medicaid EHR incentive program will electronically report their CQM data to their individual state.

CMS has now assigned domains, established by the National Quality Strategy, in an effort to better align CQM's with other incentive programs, DHS and HIT Policy committees.

Providers must select criteria from at least 3 different National Quality Strategy domains.  Each CQM has been assigned one of six different domains, the domain for each criteria is listed within the SOAPware 2014 CQM Manual lesson for each specific measure.

These domains include:

• Efficient Use of Healthcare Resources
• Clinical Process/Effectiveness
• Patient Safety
• Population/Public Health
• Patient and Family Engagement
• Care Coordination

The measures included in the recommended core adult CQM's and recommended core pediatric CQM's contain the required 3 different domains.

• NQF 0018: Controlling High Blood Pressure
• NQF 0022: Use of High-Risk Medications in the Elderly
• NQF 0028: Preventive Care and Screening:  Tobacco Use:  Screening and Cessation Intervention
• NQF 0052: Use of Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain
• NQF 0418: Preventive Care and Screening:  Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-Up Plan
• NQF 0419: Documentation of Current Medications in the Medical Record
• NQF 0421:Preventive Care and Screening:  Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening and Follow-Up
• CMS 50v1: Closing the referral loop: receipt of specialist report
• CMS 90v2: Functional status assessment for complex chronic conditions

• NQF 0002: Appropriate Testing for Children with Pharyngitis
• NQF 0024: Weight Assessment and Counseling for Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents
• NQF 0033: Chlamydia Screening for Women
• NQF 0036: Use of Appropriate Medications for Asthma
• NQF 0038: Childhood Immunization Status
• NQF  0069: Appropriate Treatment for Children with Upper Respiratory Infection (URI)
• NQF 0108: ADHD:  Follow-Up Care for Children Prescribed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Medication
• NQF 0418: Preventive Care and Screening:  Screening for Clinical Depression and Follow-Up Plan
• CMS 75v1: Children who have dental decay or cavities

For more detailed information on 2014 CQMs and electronic reporting options, click to view the CMS 2014 Clinical Quality Measures Tipsheet.

SOAPware, Inc. has engaged an ONC-ATCB Certified Organization, and has begun its 2014 Meaningful Use, Stage 2 Certification process. This process is an in-depth and comprehensive process involving product design work and development, as well as extensive support systems development. We expect to achieve our certification in early 2014.

Meaningful Use Joined With SOAPware’s Triple Aim +1

As we began to peel back the layers of MU Stage 2, it quickly became apparent that we had two choices. One, we could simply focus on meeting the requirements for MU2 by cobbling together a string of redesigned workflows that would add extra work every day for already-overloaded clinicians. While taking this route would have provided SOAPware with a convenient shortcut to achieving certification, we weren’t willing to compromise on our pledge to bring the Triple Aim +1 to our users. Instead, we have chosen to take an entirely different approach aimed at making the lives of clinicians easier and less stressful as they incorporate MU2 into their daily patient visit activities. Many of the new functions for Stage 2, 2014 edition of MU have already been added to current releases of SOAPware, and the remainder will be gradually added via future updates applied via our cloud-based updating system. In addition to eliminating “meaningless use” and making MU2 compliance a less complicated and stressful process, SOAPware users will transition gradually to MU Stage 2 with less disruption. As our friends in the auto industry say, “It’s a quieter, more comfortable ride;” a ride designed to deliver maximum efficiency with ease of use to the lives of our SOAPware clinicians.