Promoting Interoperability measures

CMS has made several changes to the Promoting Interoperability performance category for 2024. These are the key points to remember when reporting PI:

The performance period has expanded. The duration for the PI performance period will extend from at least 90 consecutive days to at least 180 consecutive days within the calendar year. This ensures that the PI performance category continues to align with the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals.

The CEHRT definition has been updated. The definition of Certified Electronic Health Record Technology (CEHRT) has been revised to comply with the regulations of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). This update departs from the previous “edition” model for certification criteria, replacing references to the “2015 Edition health IT certification criteria” with “ONC health IT certification criteria.”

Automatic reweighting rules have changed. CMS will no longer automatically reweight the following clinician types:

• Physical therapists
• Occupational therapists
• Qualified speech-language pathologists
• Clinical psychologists
• Registered dieticians or nutrition professionals

CMS intends to maintain automatic reweighting for these clinician types during the 2024 performance period:

• Clinical social workers
• Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC)-based clinicians and groups
• Hospital-based clinicians and groups
• Clinicians and groups not directly interacting with patients

The Query of Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) measure exclusion has been updated. CMS changed the exclusion to say, “does not electronically prescribe any Schedule II opioids or Schedule III or IV drugs during the performance period.”

The prior exclusion was too broad and didn’t necessarily accommodate clinicians who don’t electronically prescribe any Schedule II opioids and Schedule III and IV drugs during the performance period.

The SAFER Guide measure needs a “Yes” response. CMS now requires a “yes” response on the attestation for the SAFER Guide measure. Clinicians only need to review the High Priority Practices SAFER guide.