About this Course

FHIR 101: Foundations of FHIR Data in Quality Measurement

FHIR is central to the shift from manual, document-based quality reporting to digital, computable data exchange. This course makes FHIR approachable for learners who need to understand the standard’s role in Digital HEDIS® and dQMs without getting lost in technical detail.

Through plain-language explanations and practical examples, learners explore how data moves across the digital quality ecosystem, how FHIR resources represent quality-relevant information, and how implementation guides and profiles help define reporting requirements. The course closes with an end-to-end Digital HEDIS® example that shows how these concepts work together in practice.

What You Will Learn

After completing this course, learners will be able to:

• Use core interoperability terms with confidence in digital quality conversations.
• Explain what FHIR is and why it matters for Digital HEDIS® and dQMs.
•  Identify where FHIR is used across EHRs, HIEs, data aggregators, health plans and technology vendors.
•  Recognize common FHIR resources, including Patient, Encounter and Observation.
•  Describe how FHIR Implementation Guides translate standards into digital quality reporting requirements.
•  Explain how FHIR profiles support consistency, mapping and validation.
•  Describe how FHIR resources relate to one another in digital quality workflows.
•  Compare traditional quality data formats with FHIR-based models and identify opportunities to reduce manual effort over time.

HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

FHIR® is a registered trademark of Health Level Seven International; use does not constitute endorsement by HL7.  

Who Should Attend

• Health plans
• Health systems
• HIEs
• Data aggregators
• Health IT and technology vendors
• HEDIS reporting teams
• Quality analysts
• Compliance and Audit stakeholders
•  Professionals new to FHIR-based digital quality measurement  
  
  

Author

Allison Lance

Allison Lance, Senior Program Manager in Customer Education brings over 20 years of experience across the health care ecosystem, from payers to health IT to care delivery. Her expertise ranges from market strategy and population health to quality improvement and interoperability. Prior to her role at NCQA, she worked in market intelligence at one of the world’s leading Electronic Health Record (EHR) platforms and has experience from several health plans. During her time at NCQA, she built the Digital Hub and Community, which is a dynamic coalition of health quality measurement professionals, as well as leads development of the organization’s strategic plan for digital advancement. These resources help provide visibility to the roadmap for digitalizing health quality measures to be in alignment with CMS and Interoperability Standards. 

Allison holds a Master's in health care administration (MHA) from the University of Maryland and a bachelor's in human resources management from Missouri State University.

Continuing Education

This is a non-accredited activity.

Disclosure of Relevant Financial Relationships

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) endorses the Standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education which specify that sponsors of continuing medical education activities and presenters at and planners for these activities disclose any relevant financial relationships either party might have with commercial companies whose products or services are discussed in educational presentations.

For sponsors, relevant financial relationships include large research grants, institutional agreements for joint initiatives, substantial gifts, or other relationships that benefit the institution.  For presenters or planning committee members, relevant financial relationships include the receipt of research grants from a commercial company, consultancies, honoraria, travel, or other benefits, or having a self-managed equity interest in a company; or having an immediate family member or partner with such a relationship.

Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone bias in any presentation but is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation.

Relevant financial relationships exist with the following companies/organizations:

Faculty:

Allison Lance:  None


Additional Planning Committee Members:
Allison Lance: None