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ave you and your colleagues long wished for state surveyors to be more consistent and organized? Well, you got your wish, says Jo Walters, RNC, author of this month’s cover article. But now it’s time to deal with the repercussions. In “The Quality Indicator Survey, Part 1,” Walters discusses the revised Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) process—which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed, in part, to respond to provider feedback—and how it will affect your facility. Though the guidance and regulations have not changed, she writes, the QIS process changes the methods by which outcomes are measured and data collected. Surveyors will use the two-stage QIS process to systematically and objectively review all regulatory areas to see which need further review. Walters discusses the development and stages of the QIS, how the QIS is different from the traditional process, and the nine survey tasks that are to be completed on and off site. While the QIS isn’t likely to change the way the word “survey” can induce panic in the halls of your facility, our hope is that the article makes your adjustment to it a little bit easier.

Also In This Issue...

       As promised, this month’s issue features an article, “Using QIOs to Drive Quality,” based on a presentation at this year’s Symposium on Regulatory Issues for Management in Long-Term Care (SORIM LTC), as well as the seventh in the “MIST Therapy^® System: Thoughts on Therapy” series. Also included is news on the efforts of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to design a public-private successor for the American Health Information Community (AHIC) and articles on the following topics: making sense of food allergies, training and career changes with regard to the Minimum Data Set (MDS), how flooring technology can help reduce fall risk and injury, wound bed preparation and microwound environment manipulation, and the rise of digital referrals in long-term care.
       As always, thank you for reading ECPN.