The ACR National Radiology Data Registry (NRDR™) Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) has supported radiology practices in fulfilling the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) MIPS reporting requirements since 2016. According to CMS, MIPS reporting was initiated "to tie payment to quality and cost-efficient care, drive improvement in care processes and health outcomes, increase the use of healthcare information, and reduce the cost of care."


CMS offers MIPS eligible clinicians several reporting methods, including through a QCDR, which offers specialty-specific measures reviewed and approved by CMS annually. This allows clinicians to report on measures that directly reflect their clinical activities and outcomes. Clinicians reporting through a CMS-approved QCDR collect and report measure data across all payers, not just Medicare, resulting in broader and more extensive reporting data.  



Why Use the NRDR QCDR?

The NRDR QCDR offers radiology practices many important benefits outlined below. To get started with participation, check out the QCDR for MIPS Reporting Startup Guide.

  • Comprehensive MIPS Portal: All the tools and resources needed for MIPS reporting are readily available via the NRDR Portal menu. 

  • One-Stop Shopping: The ability to report on three MIPS performance categories: Quality, Improvement Activities, and Promoting Interoperability. (Measures in the Cost category are calculated by CMS using claims data.)

  • Additional Quality Measures: The availability of radiology-specific QCDR measures (in addition to MIPS measures) enables reporting on quality measures that align closely with the types of cases and procedures performed at your practice.

  • Regular Performance Feedback: Availability of real-time, online performance reports for MIPS and QCDR measures at the group and clinician level.

  • Individual and Group Reporting: Availability of individual and/or group reporting for clinicians with a National Provider Identifier (NPI) practicing under a group TIN.

  • Control: Access to tools to manage reporting measures and preview results before the measure performance is submitted to CMS by the performance year reporting deadline.

  • Expert Guidance: NRDR staff provide education and direct support to help radiologists and their teams understand MIPS requirements, improve performance on quality measures, and navigate the reporting process effectively.


In summary, the NRDR QCDR provides more relevant quality measures for MIPS reporting, supports quality improvement efforts, streamlines reporting processes, and can potentially improve Medicare reimbursement. These advantages make the NRDR QCDR a valuable resource for radiologists participating in MIPS.