OASIS-Central

Guidelines for Clinicians

OASIS-C has several new items to measure processes of care. Care processes refer to the use of assessment tools (included in a comprehensive assessment) or the planning and delivery of specific clinical interventions. The question we are discussing here is M1730, which relates to screening for depression. This OASIS-C question is designed to evaluate how an agency plans and delivers care around depression screening.

Consequences of depression include amplification of pain and disability, delayed recovery from illness and surgery, worsening of drug side effects, excess use of health services, cognitive impairment, sub-nutrition, and increased suicide- and non-suicide-related death.

CMS does not mandate that clinicians conduct depression screening for all patients, nor is there a mandate for the use of the PHQ-2 or any other particular standardized tool. This data element is used to calculate process measures to capture the agency’s use of best practices following the completion of the comprehensive assessment. The best practices stated in the item are not necessarily required in the Conditions of Participation.

Clinicians should review documentation since the last OASIS assessment to determine whether depression was present and to evaluate whether interventions to address the condition were incorporated into the physician’s orders, ordered and implemented as a part of the plan of care.

Screening using the scale provided in the OASIS-C is simple and requires very little time. The follow-up based upon the score will be determined on an agency-specific basis. Review your agency’s patient teaching tools for early recognition of signs of depression as needed. Know where you should record the information required in the medical record.

This post was adapted from the book, OASIS-C Process Measures: A Program for Best Practices Implementation, by April Perry, RN, APN, MEd, Laurie Salmons, RN, BSN, and Bobi Rose, RN, BSN, CWCN, CCCN.