The home health quality measures come from information collected by Medicare and Medicaid-certified home health agencies about the patients’ health, how they function, the skilled care, and social, personal, and support services they need, as well as their living conditions. This information is called the Home Health Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS).
| OASIS Outcome Measure |
Definition |
Improvement in Ambulation/Locomotion |
- Percentage of patients who get better at walking or moving around in a wheelchair safely.
- Higher percentages are better.
|
Improvement in Transferring |
- Percentage of patients who get better at getting in and out of bed.
- Higher percentages are better.
|
Improvement in Pain Interfering with Activity |
- The percentage of patients who have less pain that affects their ability to perform daily activities, like walking, dressing, or bathing.
- Higher percentages are better.
|
Improvement in Urinary Incontinence |
- The percentage of home health patients whose bladder control improves.
- Higher percentages are better.
|
Improvement in Bathing |
- The percentage of patients who get better at bathing.
- Higher percentages are better.
|
Improvement in Management of Oral Medications |
- The percentage of patients who get better at taking their oral medicines correctly.
- Higher percentages are better.
|
Improvement in Dyspnea |
- Percentage of patients who are short of breath less often.
- Higher percentages are better.
|
Acute Care Hospitalization |
- The percentage of patients who had to be admitted to the hospital.
- Lower percentages are better.
|
Any Emergent Care Provided |
- The percentage of patients who need urgent, unplanned medical care.
- Lower percentages are better.
|
Discharge to the Community |
- The percentage of patients who are able to live at home alone or with others and can manage their condition independently or with help, and no longer need nursing or therapy from a home health agency. This means they did not go into a hospital or nursing home after an episode of home health care ended.
- Higher percentages are better.
|
| Improvement in Status of Surgical Wounds |
- The percentage of patients whose wounds improved or healed after an operation.
- Higher percentages are better. Home health agencies can assist with wound healing in several ways. They may change the wound dressing, depending on the doctor's orders, or teach the patient or caregiver to change the dressing. They will also teach the patient or caregiver about the signs of wound healing, teach the patient or caregiver the types of foods that promote healing and restore normal functioning, teach the patient or caregiver about any drugs the doctor has ordered, such as drugs used to relieve pain. They also teach the patient or caregiver about the signs or symptoms of infection or other problems and direct the patient to call the home health agency or their doctor.
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| Emergent Care for New, Infected, or Deteriorating Wound/Lesion |
- The percentage of patients who need urgent medical care related to a new wound, a wound that is worse, or has become infected. (These wounds may or may not be related to surgery).
- Lower percentages are better. As part of home care, the nurse must assess and instruct the patient or caregiver on the signs of normal wound healing, signs and symptoms of wound infection, wounds that are getting worse, or new wounds, and the importance of calling the home health agency first with concerns about the wound. The home health agency also has a responsibility to visit the patient frequently enough to assess the wound, assist in care for the wound according to the doctor's orders, and look for any preventable problems such as pressure relief and proper nutrition.
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