The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a final rule that modernizes the Home Health Agency Conditions of Participation. This final rule is effective July 13, 2017 and includes:
- A comprehensive patient rights condition of participation that clearly enumerates the rights of home health agency patients and the steps that must be taken to assure those rights.
- An expanded comprehensive patient assessment requirement that focuses on all aspects of patient wellbeing.
- A requirement that assures that patients and caregivers have written information about upcoming visits, medication instructions, treatments administered, instructions for care that the patient and caregivers perform, and the name and contact information of a home health agency clinical manager.
- A requirement for an integrated communication system that ensures that patient needs are identified and addressed, care is coordinated among all disciplines, and that there is active communication between the home health agency and the patient’s physician(s).
- A requirement for a data-driven, agency-wide quality assessment and performance improvement (QAPI) program that continually evaluates and improves agency care for all patients at all times.
- A new infection prevention and control requirement that focuses on the use of standard infection control practices, and patient/caregiver education and teaching.
- A streamlined skilled professional services requirement that focuses on appropriate patient care activities and supervision across all disciplines.
- An expanded patient care coordination requirement that makes a licensed clinician responsible for all patient care services, such as coordinating referrals and assuring that plans of care meet each patient’s needs at all times.
- Revisions to simplify the organizational structure of home health agencies while continuing to allow parent agencies and their branches.
- New personnel qualifications for home health agency administrators and clinical managers.
MCN Healthcare staff are currently updating our Home Health Policy and Procedure Manual to reflect the changes to the Conditions of Participation in this final rule.
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