For Abstractors. By Abstractors. Better Data. Better Care.
Most importantly, remember that behind every username is another person trying to do good work.
"QDAA exists to bring the abstraction community together to share knowledge, establish best practices, and collectively advance the quality and future of clinical data abstraction."
For Abstractors. By Abstractors. Better Data. Better Care.
— The QDAA Founders,
Brandy and Kate
QDAA was not created because we believe we have every answer.
Actually, quite the opposite.
We created QDAA because we know what it feels like to stare at a guideline and think:
“Am I the only person who has absolutely no idea what they mean by this?”
We know what it is like to encounter a scenario that isn't clearly addressed in the manual, hear three different interpretations from three experienced abstractors, or simply wish there were someone else who understood this incredibly specific work.
That's why this community exists.
QDAA is about bringing abstractors together—not replacing the organizations that establish the rules we follow.
Ask questions. Share what you've learned. Bring the guideline. Explain your interpretation. Be willing to reconsider it when someone finds the sentence on page 347 that none of us noticed.
QDAA Community Guidelines
01
Protect Patient Privacy — Always
Do not post Protected Health Information (PHI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), or any information that could reasonably identify a patient.
This includes, but is not limited to:
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Patient names or initials
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Dates of birth
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Medical record numbers
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Account, encounter, FIN, or CSN numbers
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Addresses
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Phone numbers or email addresses
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Photographs or screenshots containing identifying information
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Exact dates or other information that could reasonably allow a patient to be identified
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Any other information protected under applicable privacy laws or organizational policies
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When discussing an abstraction scenario, provide only the minimum information necessary to explain the question and ensure that the case cannot reasonably be connected to an identifiable patient.
When in doubt, leave it out.
02
Do Not Share Proprietary or Confidential Information
Do not upload, reproduce, distribute, or request materials that you do not have permission to share.
This may include proprietary registry manuals, copyrighted coding resources, internal employer documentation, client information, internal policies, screenshots from restricted systems, credentials, or other confidential materials.
Whenever possible, QDAA will direct members to the official source where resources can legally and appropriately be accessed.
03
Respect Your Employer and Client Confidentiality Requirements
Participation in QDAA does not replace or override confidentiality agreements, employment agreements, contractor agreements, client requirements, nondisclosure agreements, or organizational policies.
Members are responsible for ensuring that anything they share complies with their own professional and contractual obligations.
04
Be Respectful
Clinical abstraction involves interpretation, and experienced abstractors will not always agree.
Disagreement is welcome.
Disrespect is not.
Challenge the interpretation—not the person providing it. Different perspectives and thoughtful discussion are part of what makes a professional community valuable.
Harassment, bullying, discrimination, personal attacks, or intentionally disruptive behavior may result in content removal or loss of community access.
QDAA is intended to be a professional, collaborative, and welcoming community. By participating in QDAA community areas, members agree to follow these expectations.
05
Cite the Source When Possible
When answering registry-specific questions, members are encouraged to identify the guideline, manual, coding instruction, FAQ, official clarification, or other authoritative source supporting their interpretation whenever possible.
We want QDAA to encourage:
“Here is how I interpret it, and here is why.”
rather than:
“We've always done it this way.”
06
No Misrepresentation
Do not represent yourself as speaking on behalf of QDAA, another member, your employer, a registry organization, accrediting body, or other organization unless you are specifically authorized to do so.
07
Keep QDAA Helpful
Spam, misleading advertising, fraudulent opportunities, inappropriate solicitation, or content unrelated to the purpose of the QDAA community may be removed.
Relevant educational opportunities, job opportunities, professional resources, and services that may benefit abstractors may be permitted when shared appropriately and transparently.
QDAA Disclaimers
Educational & Informational Purposes
Information provided through QDAA is intended for general educational, informational, networking, and professional discussion purposes only.
QDAA does not provide legal, medical, regulatory, compliance, accreditation, employment, or other professional advice.
Information shared through QDAA should not be relied upon as the sole basis for registry abstraction, coding, quality reporting, regulatory reporting, accreditation decisions, patient care, or organizational policy.
Users remain responsible for reviewing and applying the official requirements applicable to their organization, registry, measure, and reporting period.
Registry Guidelines Change
Clinical registry specifications, measure requirements, abstraction instructions, accreditation standards, and reporting requirements can and do change.
While QDAA strives to provide useful and accurate information, we cannot guarantee that every resource, discussion, link, or educational item reflects the most current version of applicable guidance.
Always verify information against the current official source before applying it to abstraction or reporting decisions.
External Links & Resources
QDAA may provide links to third-party websites, educational programs, certification programs, products, services, discounts, professional organizations, registries, and other resources that we believe may be useful to the abstraction community.
Unless specifically stated otherwise:
- QDAA is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or compensated by these organizations.
- The inclusion of a resource or link does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee by QDAA.
- QDAA is not responsible for the content, accuracy, privacy practices, security, availability, pricing, policies, products, services, or actions of third-party
websites or organizations.
Opinions & Interpretations
Clinical abstraction is complex, and registry guidance may sometimes require interpretation.
Content shared by QDAA founders, administrators, moderators, contributors, or members reflects the knowledge, experience, and interpretation of the individual providing it.
These statements should not be interpreted as official guidance from QDAA, an employer, registry organization, accrediting body, government agency, or other organization.
Employment Disclaimer
The founders, administrators, moderators, and contributors of QDAA may be employed by or contracted with healthcare organizations, technology companies, consulting organizations, registry vendors, or other entities.
Participation in QDAA is undertaken independently unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Views and opinions expressed through QDAA are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, practices, or positions of any individual's employer or contracting organization.
Limitation of Responsibility
QDAA makes reasonable efforts to provide helpful resources and maintain a professional community; however, information is provided “as is” without warranties regarding accuracy, completeness, reliability, suitability, or availability.
Users are responsible for independently verifying information before relying upon it.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, QDAA and its founders, administrators, moderators, and contributors are not responsible for losses, damages, reporting errors, abstraction decisions, employment consequences, compliance issues, or other outcomes resulting from reliance on information, resources, discussions, external links, or materials accessed through QDAA.