The Next Era of Patient Safety: Evolving Hospital Harm eCQMs and What It Means for You

Why It Matters

Mandatory hospital‑harm ECQMs will reshape safety reporting, directly influencing Medicare star ratings and public reputation, making proactive compliance a strategic priority for hospitals.

Key Takeaways

• CMS proposes mandatory hospital harm ECQMs by 2028
• New measures will replace PSI90 in star ratings
• Hospitals must submit expanded ECQM set for IQR/OQR
• Public reporting will expose safety data from 2021‑2024
• Early adoption essential to avoid future compliance penalties

Summary

The webinar focused on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule that will make all hospital‑harm electronic clinical quality measures (ECQMs) mandatory, beginning in 2028 for measures already available and two years after any new measure is released. Aaron Hman, SVP of Regulatory Affairs at Metaolve, traced the evolution from early NHSN infection metrics and AHRQ’s patient safety indicators (PSIs) to today’s push for modern, EHR‑based safety reporting.

Key points include a steep increase in required ECQMs, the transition of these measures into the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) and Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) programs, and the eventual replacement of the legacy PSI‑90 composite with a hospital‑harm ECQM composite. CMS explicitly states that once mandatory, the data will feed into Care Compare and the Medicare star‑rating system, meaning public reputation scores will reflect performance on these new safety metrics.

Hman highlighted concrete examples such as the severe hypoglycemia ECQM, which will be required in 2026, and the upcoming post‑operative VTE measure slated for mandatory reporting in 2030. He also cited the technical expert panel’s crosswalk that maps hospital‑harm measures to PSI‑90 sub‑components, underscoring CMS’s intent to retire claims‑based PSIs in favor of real‑time clinical data.

The implications are clear: hospitals must develop or revise ECQM strategies now, integrate the required measures into their data pipelines, and prepare for public disclosure that could affect star ratings and reimbursement. Early compliance will mitigate the risk of penalties and give organizations a competitive edge in patient‑safety reporting.

Original Description

This webinar provides forward-looking information on the evolving landscape of patient safety measurement and what’s next for Hospital Harm eCQMs, presented by Erin Heilman, SVP, Regulatory Affairs & Advisory Services, Medisolv.

As CMS continues to advance digital quality reporting and expand the role of hospital harm measures, healthcare organizations must move beyond implementation and begin preparing for what’s ahead. In this webinar, we’ll explore how safety measurement is changing, what new requirements and expectations are on the horizon, and how your organization can stay ahead. You’ll gain practical insights into how to strengthen your data, align teams, and build a more proactive approach to patient safety, so you’re not just keeping up with regulatory change, but leading through it.