Project Overview

Medicare CHHAs have been required to collect and submit patient specific data measurements through the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) since 1999. The OASIS data reflects assessment of patients at specific time points during their episode of home care. The OASIS data is then aggregated and risk-adjusted to determine the frequency of specific health status changes or outcomes of care in the agency's patient population and is formatted into agency specific Risk-Adjusted & Descriptive Outcome and Case Mix Reports with national reference comparisons for each of the 41 outcomes. The OBQI outcome enhancement process is utilized for the assessment of patient outcomes with the goal of improving patient care processes and specific clinical outcomes.

IPRO will be continuing to provide ongoing technical assistance to the home health agencies in the OBQI process in the form of teleconference presentations, regional workshops and 1:1 communication to support implementation, plan of action development and target outcome improvement.

Public Health Importance

Home health agencies serve a vital role in the country's health care system by enabling persons who cannot leave home without great difficulty to receive services within their own homes. In 2002, Medicare covered home health services for 3.5 million elderly and disabled Americans.

The ultimate goal of home health services is to enable individuals to remain as functional and independent as possible in their own homes, thereby avoiding institutional long-term care.

The very nature of home health services is a multitude of health care providers working semi-autonomously in patients' homes presents quality assessment challenges that are different from those in institutional settings.