cms996v6 eSTEMI - Clarification on stopTime for RelevantPeriod in context of eSTEMI

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    • Type: Hosp Outpt eCQMs - Hospital Outpatient eCQMs
    • Resolution: Answered
    • Priority: Moderate
    • Component/s: None
    • None
    • Kris Majumdar
    • 5738842373
    • University of Missouri Health Care
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      Thank you for your follow-up inquiry regarding CMS996v6: Appropriate Treatment for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Patients in the Emergency Department (ED).

      The ED encounter relevantPeriod represents the period between the startTime (the time the encounter began) and the stopTime (the time the encounter ended). This information is available on the eCQI resource center at https://ecqi.healthit.gov/mcw/2025/ecqm-dataelement/encounterperformedemergencydepartmentvisit.html#:~:text=Data%20elements%20that%20meet%20criteria,encounter%20began%20(admission%20time).

      The relevantPeriod stopTime for an ED Encounter represents the ED departure time, the Timestamp for which is usually generated when a patient is physically moved from the ED to an inpatient unit, transferred to another facility, or discharged to home. In cases where the patient is admitted as an inpatient, the date and time of admission, rather than the decision to admit time, or the time the physician order is placed, should be used.

      You should work with your EHR vendor to determine the best data field in your EHR to capture ED departure or stopTime that best fits your workflow.
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      Thank you for your follow-up inquiry regarding CMS996v6: Appropriate Treatment for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Patients in the Emergency Department (ED). The ED encounter relevantPeriod represents the period between the startTime (the time the encounter began) and the stopTime (the time the encounter ended). This information is available on the eCQI resource center at https://ecqi.healthit.gov/mcw/2025/ecqm-dataelement/encounterperformedemergencydepartmentvisit.html#:~:text=Data%20elements%20that%20meet%20criteria,encounter%20began%20(admission%20time) . The relevantPeriod stopTime for an ED Encounter represents the ED departure time, the Timestamp for which is usually generated when a patient is physically moved from the ED to an inpatient unit, transferred to another facility, or discharged to home. In cases where the patient is admitted as an inpatient, the date and time of admission, rather than the decision to admit time, or the time the physician order is placed, should be used. You should work with your EHR vendor to determine the best data field in your EHR to capture ED departure or stopTime that best fits your workflow.
    • CMS1244v1
    • CMS0996v6
    • CMS0996v5
    • CMS0996v4
    • Documentation of Intervention Contraindications, and the measure's Denominator Exceptions.

      Hello, this is a follow up to CQM-8628. Thank you for your detailed response.

      The response mentioned, "To meet the denominator exception criteria, the authorDatetime must be during the ED encounter relevantPeriod, which represents the period between the startTime that the encounter began (admission time) and the stopTime that the encounter ended (discharge or change in patient disposition time)."

      Regarding the definition of stopTime from your response, could you please clarify whether this refers to the time the patient physically leaves the ED, or the time the physician order is placed (for example, discharge to home or admit to inpatient)?

      This distinction is important because a patient’s encounter type may change from ED to inpatient or from ED to discharge while the patient is still physically present in the ED.

      Based on your guidance, should stopTime be interpreted as the time the patient physically leaves the ED, the time the physician order is placed, or are either acceptable?

      Thanks!

            Assignee:
            Mathematica EH eCQM Team
            Reporter:
            Kris Majumdar
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