Home Health & Hospice Week

Are you making this ‘dumb question’ mistake?

When completing the OASIS or selecting diagnosis codes, it’s impossible to have all of the answers all of the time. It’s OK to have questions — even when the pressure’s on to move through your work quickly. Try these expert tips to help boost your accuracy and your peace of mind.

“I have been teaching OASIS since its inception, and I still do not know all the answers,” says Pat Jump with Rice Lake, Wis.-based Acorn’s End Training & Consulting. “But, guess what? I don’t have to know all the answers to successfully and accurately know how to complete the OASIS data set. I simply need to know where to go to get the answers. I need to know trusted, accurate, reliable resources.” 

“OASIS is complex and evolving. Seeking ongoing clarification of various aspects of OASIS is the only way to even remotely get a handle on the complexity,” Jump says. “And the best way to obtain clarification is to ask questions — lots of questions.”

Your Workplace Should Invite Questions

“We often hear from home health agency staff that asking questions doesn’t get them anywhere,” says OASIS expert Beth Johnson of Johnson, Richards & Associates in Brighton, Mich.

To help combat this feeling of helplessness, supervisors, managers, and educators should make sure that when a clinician has a question, he or she is assisted and not judged, says Jump. “Even if you have previously provided that answer on numerous occasions, questions should be encouraged,” she says.

Managers should keep in mind that adult learners need to hear things (on average) at least 7 times before they remember them, Jump says. But don’t be afraid to simply give the employee some good resources and let her find the answer and then get back to you with what she found. “That way she acquires the answer but also discovers where to find the answers — the reliable resources.”

And make sure resources such as policies and procedures, textbooks, accreditation standards, and regulations aren’t locked away in an educator’s office or someplace else where staff can’t readily access them, Johnson cautions.

Advocate For Answers

Feeling alone with questions is no picnic. Let your employees know you have staff available to help — and then make sure they are really available. Make certain employees aren’t afraid to let their educator or quality departments know about their learning needs for specific diagnoses or disorders, Johnson says. “Chances are if you have questions about a particular disease process at least some of your peers do as well.”

And don’t have staff just look for help in the old familiar spots. Encourage them to seek opportunities to interact with other disciplines, Johnson suggests. “Physical therapists may be able to provide a wealth of knowledge about bone or joint disorders, for instance, while occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and social workers may possess specialized knowledge about managing cognitive disorders,” she says.

Staff may also need to look outside your organization for help. Fund textbooks, smart-phone apps, and other resources that can help staff maintain their current knowledge, Johnson suggests.

Urge employees to seek out mentors at work, as well as in different specialty areas outside of home health, Johnson says. “We’ve seen many organizations benefit from inviting a respiratory therapist from the local hospital to present information about pulmonary disorders, oxygen safety, or how to interpret blood gasses.”

Don’t overlook: If employees have earned a specialty certification, they can take advantage of the resources available through the certifying board or body, including publications, continuing education offerings, and chapter meetings, Johnson reminds. “Cultivate a mind-set that learning is a continuous life-long process.” 

Note: For more OASIS and coding tips and strategies — including a resource list you can turn to with your OASIS, coding, and other payment, regulatory and compliance questions — subscribe to Eli’s Home Health Coding & OASIS Expert at https://www.aapc.com/codes/.