Excess Optionality in Section 2.2. Some of this should be nailed down in general, and some with program specific requirements.
The data are reported in aggregate form, with no reference to any patient identifiers. The data can be reported according to strata that are identified in the corresponding HQMF document; in this case the QRDA report uses the HQMF strata identifiers to refer to the correct stratum definition. The data can further be stratified according to the optional supplemental data elements payer, sex, race, and ethnicity.

To ensure all data are consistently reported, all populations identified in an eMeasure should be reported, even when the number of patients in that population is zero. Likewise, all stratifications identified in an eMeasure should be reported, even when the number of patients in a stratum is zero, except for populations where the total count is zero. For the optional supplemental data elements, it is sufficient to report non-zero data, leaving out counts that are zero.

For programs that require Performance Rates in a QRDA Category III report, all Performance Rates called for in the eMeasure should be reported. Performance Rate is defined as (Numerator) / (Denominator – Denominator Exclusions – Denominator Exceptions). Where there are patients in the Denominator but none in the Numerator, the Performance Rate is zero. Where there are no patients in the Denominator (and therefore no patients in the Denominator Exclusions, Denominator Exceptions, and Numerator populations), the Performance Rate is null (using a nullFlavor of “NA”).

Many of the conformance rules in this guide are recommended and optional. Organizations receiving reports may choose to define their own implementation guides, based on this one, that require data defined as recommended (SHOULD) or optional (MAY). They may also choose to place other requirements and constraints on the reporting institutions.