Electronic Case Reporting (eCR)

The Florida Department of Health declares they are ready to receive electronic case reports from eligible health care organizations.

Effective January 1, 2022, eCR is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Promoting Interoperability Program (PIP) for eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) and the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Promoting Interoperability Performance Category for eligible clinicians.

PLEASE NOTE: The upcoming deadline for eligible hospitals, critical access hospitals (CAHs), and clinicians to begin the reporting/performance period to meet the CY2025 requirement for CMS PIP and QPP MIPS for eCR is July 5th, 2025. It must be a continuous, self-selected, 180-day period ending by December 31, 2025.

Please read on to learn about eCR, its benefits, where to register your intent, and additional resources.

About eCR

Electronic case reporting (eCR) is the automated real-time exchange of case report information between electronic health records (EHRs) and public health agencies.

Traditionally, health care providers need to know the rules for reporting and manually report about cases, or people with conditions of public health concern, to their public health agencies via fax, phone call, or email.

The Florida Department of Health uses the HL7 CDA electronic initial case report (eICR) standards R3.1 or FHIR eCR 2.1 for electronic case reporting and to support the CMS Promoting Interoperability regulation and the HTI-1 Final Rule for eCR. It is these standards that we will use to eventually eliminate manual reporting requirements. For health care facilities and electronic health record products currently utilizing CDA R1.1, transition is required by August 2025. For transitioning, see step 5 under the “Participate in eCR” section below.

Benefits of eCR

• Fulfills legal requirements: eCR allows providers to fulfill their legal obligations to report conditions of public health concern with less administrative burden.
• Qualifies as a PIP objective: eCR qualifies as an objective for eligible facilities participating in the Promoting Interoperability Program (PIP), formerly called Meaningful Use.
• Enhances surveillance: eCR enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of disease detection, surveillance, investigation, and response.
• Increases automation: eCR increases automation, which allows stakeholders to spend more time providing care and preventing and controlling disease among the residents of Florida, especially those who are most vulnerable.