MS is updating the Quality Improvement and Evaluation System

Starting in March, the Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (QIES), Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports (CASPER) and Automated Survey Processing Environment (ASPEN) will undergo a series of modernizing enhancements. Once updated, the system will be called the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES). The iQIES system will not change how providers currently submit data to CMS.

The new enhancements in iQIES are based on user research and testing and feature a human-centered design and agile development practices. CMS is phasing in the iQIES system beginning with Long Term Care Hospitals (LTCH). Several updates to the QIES- Assessment Submission and Processing (ASAP) system are also planned. The Cloud-based solutions will also make it easier for users to receive support and use the system.

UPDATE 1/08/19: The electronic versions of the Nurse and Management Assessment have been updated.

Toolkit 1: Nursing Home Staff Competency Assessment

Quality care is complex. That’s why the CMPRP competency assessment helps nursing homes break down and self-examine some of the most important building blocks of quality care. Use the competency assessment to identify areas where your nursing home is doing well, versus where your facility might need support. Once you know where you need support, CMPRP can provide funding, technical assistance and learning opportunities to help address some of your facility’s toughest challenges, in order to offer the best possible care to your residents.

There are three competency assessments in print and electronic formats:

1) Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA)/Certified Medication Technicians (CMT)

2)Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses (LVN/LPN) and Registered Nurses (RN)

3) Assistant directors of nursing (ADON), directors of nursing (DON) and administrators.

Payroll Based Journal (PBJ) Policy Manual Updates, Notification to States and New Minimum Data Set (MDS) Census Reports

• Notification to States –

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide CMS Regional Offices (ROs) and State Survey Agencies with a list of facilities with potential staffing issues to support survey activities for evaluating sufficient staffing and improving resident health and safety.

• Updates in the PBJ Policy Manual and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – We are expanding the guidance on the meal breaks policy to ensure consistency. In addition, we are adding guidance regarding reporting hours for “Universal Care Workers.”

• Additional Technical Support for Facilities – New MDS-based census reports in the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting (CASPER) system.

• Transition to Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) Data – Starting in April, 2018, CMS will use PBJ data to determine each facility’s staffing measure on the Nursing Home Compare tool on Medicare.gov website, and calculate the staffing rating used in the Nursing Home Five Star Quality Rating System.

• Staffing data audits - We are providing lessons-learned from audits conducted, and guidance to facilities for improving their accuracy. Nursing homes whose audit identifies significant inaccuracies between the hours reported and the hours verified, or facilities who fail to submit any data by the required deadline will be presumed to have low levels of staff. This will result in a one-star rating in the staffing domain, which will drop their overall (composite) star rating by one star for a quarter.

• Requirement for registered nurse (RN) staffing – We are reminding nursing homes of the importance of RN staffing and the requirement to have an RN onsite 8 hours a day, 7 days a week. Nursing homes reporting 7 or more days in a quarter with no RN hours will receive a one-star rating in the staffing domain, which will drop their overall (composite) star rating by one star for a quarter. This action will be implemented in July 2018, after the May 15, 2018 submission deadline for data for 2018 Calendar Quarter 1, 2018 (January – March, 2018) data.