Thanks!
R.
Subj: Quality Measures News
Date: 1/9/04 6:23:29 PM Pacific Standard Time
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CMS is poised to implement the new set of Nursing Home Quality Measures (QMs) beginning in February when each facility's scores will be calculated according to the new measures and posted on www.medicare.gov's Nursing Home Compare website. Beginning on Monday (1/12/04), providers will be able to preview their data via their QIES mailboxes, located on their state Intranet sites, to check for glaring errors they might need to report to their state RAI coordinator. Providers with questions about downloading the data from QIES also should contact their state RAI coordinator.
The new Quality Measures set consists of the 14 measures endorsed recently by the National Quality Forum (NQF). CMS has made some changes to the Quality Measure definitions compared to NQF's recommendations as previously posted on the AANAC website. For example, certain of the covariates, such as the Personal Severity Index and the RUG-III indexes, will not be used, and the timeframe for data collection will remain as it has been for the last year: 6 months for the postacute measures and 3 months for the chronic care measures.
A "snap shot" summary of the definitions will be available next week. Stay tuned to the AANAC website, www.aanac.org - we'll post them as soon as we get them.
AANAC will be offering an updated Quality Measure manual as well as updated presentations via our Internet classes, Assessment University, and at our April conference in Atlantic City. AANAC's training partners throughout the country also will be provided with the updated materials for their workshops. Keep an eye on our website for details, or call 1-800-768-1880.
Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-C
President, RRS Healthcare Consulting Services
17210 Russet Street
San Diego, CA 92127
858-592-6799
858-592-6800 (fax)
858-254-0851 (mobile)
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