On October 5th, CMS published the Preview Reports for the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (QRP), which show in advance the data that will be reflected in the forthcoming January 2024 Care Compare refresh.
For this refresh, the OASIS and all HH QRP claims-based measures have been updated and are now based on the standard number of quarters. To recall, the data in Care Compare was affected by the exclusion of certain time periods during data collection, due to the Public Health Emergency.
It is crucial for home health agencies to review the preview reports for the upcoming January 2024 Care Compare update. If there are any inaccuracies in scores, the agency can request recalculation from CMS. For more information, visit the Home Health Quality Reporting Program page by CMS: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/home-health
New BIMS Learning Resource
In line with home health quality reporting, CMS released a 3-minute explainer video: BIMS Summary Score: Stopping and Coding an Incomplete Interview for HH Providers. This video was developed to assist clinicians in determining when to discontinue the Brief Interview for Mental Status (BIMS) and how to code the remaining items in such cases.
Many clinicians often find the BIMS portion of the OASIS-E challenging. Some choose not to conduct the interview, believing patients may struggle to participate due to communication issues. However, it’s crucial to identify and address any patient difficulties with language or speech during the BIMS interview to prevent inconsistencies between the assessment and medical records, which can pose problems during surveys. BIMS can be time-consuming, especially when patients struggle with comprehension. Therefore, clinicians must receive proper training to streamline the process without sacrificing assessment quality.
Conducting the BIMS assessment provides valuable insights into a patient’s cognitive status that may not be apparent through observation alone. This information is crucial for developing a comprehensive care plan and ensuring quality outcomes. Therefore, clinicians need proper training to use the BIMS tool accurately and reliably.
Learn more about improving your documentation on BIMS and the Section C in the new OASIS-E here: https://qavalo.com/oasis-e-challenges-and-solutions-section-c-and-bims/
For other educational resources related to Home Health Quality Reporting visit: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/quality/home-health/home-health-quality-reporting-training
