OASIS-Central

In reference to M2250, if the patient has an antidepressant medication on the medication profile, but no symptoms per the standarized tool, can the clinician choose “No”?

Q: In reference to M2250, if the patient has an antidepressant medication on the medication profile, but no symptoms per the standardized tool, can the clinician choose “No”? A: M2250, Plan of Care Synopsis reports whether the physician-ordered plan of care includes depression interventions (including medications). The presence of an existing antidepressant medication is considered a [...]

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Depression Intervention and Monitoring

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 [...]

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What is the score in which a patient can be considered depressed and what should be done if the patient attains such a score?

Q: What is the score in which a patient can be considered depressed and what should be done if the patient attains such a score? A: If a homecare agency chooses to use the PHQ-2 scale for level-one screening of depression, a response is selected for each row and the points added together. If the [...]

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How should we handle a patient who scored three or more points on the PHQ-2?

Q: If we don’t have a mental health team, how should we handle a patient who scores three or more points on the PHQ-2 depression screen? A: According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression in the elderly is a common problem. It’s likely that every agency will encounter patients who meet the criteria [...]

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Depression Screening in OASIS-C

CMS implemented the depression screening process measure because it believed that depression was being underdiagnosed in elderly patients and that addressing it would support improvement in other patient outcomes. According to CMS, depression can affect a patient’s ability to “learn and perform self-care skills necessary to remain in the home.” By including a depression screening [...]

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What is a standardized tool for OASIS-C?

Q: What is a standardized tool for OASIS-C? A: There are three data elements in OASIS-C that require the use of a standardized tool for assessment or screening: M1240, pain assessment, M1730, depression screening, and M1910, fall risk assessment. To check “yes,” (that an assessment or screening was done), the clinician must use a [...]

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