Regarding the CMS145 URI measure, the guidance states:

"Data elements that meet criteria using this datatype should document the Condition/Diagnosis/Problem and its corresponding value set. The onset dateTime corresponds to the implicit start dateTime of the datatype and the abatement dateTime corresponds to the implicit stop dateTime of the datatype. If the abatement dateTime is not present, then the diagnosis is considered to still be active. When this datatype is used with timing relationships, the criterion is looking for an active diagnosis for the time frame indicated by the timing relationships."

Additionally, the measure specification appears to suggest that the diagnosis must be present within the current year and linked to a qualifying encounter

My questions are as follows:

• For a patient to qualify for this measure, does the URI diagnosis need to be made at the time of a qualifying encounter within the current year, or is a URI diagnosis from a prior year sufficient when paired with a qualifying encounter in the current year?

• If a prior-year URI diagnosis qualifies a patient for the initial population, and the measure's intent is to evaluate the percent of cases with "no antibiotic prescribed within 3 days or less after the start of the qualifying encounter with the diagnosis," how should this be evaluated if the diagnosis is not from the current calendar year?

Thank you for your guidance, and I look forward to your response.

Best regards,