MDS Alert
Translate Alphabetic ADL Nomenclature To Avoid Upcoding
PDF
What's in an alphabetic code for ADLs? Potential problems, if staff don't know precisely what the code means.
Say a facility uses an "A" for assist, a "T" for total or a "D" for dependent.
The CNA may put an "A" for assist but the MDS nurse won't really know how much assistance that means, e.g., a 2 or a 3, so she might overcode it as a 3.
Or a CNA may believe the heavy care she's providing qualifies as a "T" for total. But if the resident participated in some part of his care, the MDS nurse should not code using a 4 for total dependence.
So if a facility decides to stick with the alphabetic codes, ask the CNAs how they are translating the letters into MDS nomenclatures. The best approach is for CNAs to learn and use the actual definitions provided in the Resident Assessment Instrument user's manual.
Source: Cheryl Field, director of clinical and reimbursement services for LTCQ Inc. in Lexington, MA.
MDS Alert
- Are Your MDS Assessments Cutting Residents Out Of Higher Paying RUGs?
They won't if you strategically set the ARD. If your facility automatically sets the assessment [...] - Don't Let The MDS 3.0 Catch You By Surprise
Here's what you can do now to prepare.
Once the MDS 3.0 goes into effect, you [...] - In the Spotlight:
Glenburn Home: Using The MDS To Target Clinical Risk Management Efforts
The MDS provides the keys to quality improvement, which Glenburn Home in Linton, IN has [...] - Pain Management:
Turn the MDS Into A Pain Audit Tool
These MDS items can flag residents with undetected or under treated pain. Sherlock Holmes would [...] - What's Coming Down the MDS Pike? Change and More Change
Check out these highlights of the draft MDS 3.0. The MDS 3.0 is far from [...] - MDS News To Use
Just when you thought you'd nailed down the December 2002 revisions to the RAI User's [...] - MDS Compliance Tip:
Translate Alphabetic ADL Nomenclature To Avoid Upcoding
What's in an alphabetic code for ADLs? Potential problems, if staff don't know precisely what [...] - MDS NURSES WANT TO KNOW
Beware Survey and Other Consequences of MDS Inaccuracies Question: I'm a new MDS coordinator and [...] - Coding Quizzer:
Coding K5a (Parenteral/IV)
Which of the following would you NOT count in coding K5a?
Select the correct answer: a. IV [...] - WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Should facilities use the pain medications recorded on the MAR as a guidepost for recording [...] - Clip 'n Save:
Guide To Treating Wound Pain
All wounds are not created equal, which means they require different pain management strategies to [...]