Home Health & Hospice Week

Question: When I read through the OASIS C items, I see that some questions contain "e.g.," some use "i.e.," and some have both. Do these variations affect my answers?

Answer: Yes, they do. The abbreviations have specific meanings outside the OASIS data set: i.e.is from the Latin "id est," meaning "that is," and e.g. is from the Latin "exempli gratia," meaning "for example."

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services used these same meanings within the items, in the guidance, and in the item-specific instructions, according to Chapter 1 of the new OASIS C Guidance Manual. If you see i.e., you know scoring is limited to the items listed, as if it says, "Only in these circumstances," CMS explains.

Example: In M1890 (Ability to use the telephone), response "1" lists the types of specially adapted phones that this response covers: "i.e., large numbers on the dial, teletype phone for the deaf."

On the other hand, e.g. means "this and other things like this," allowing the clinician to consider other relevant examples for that item, CMS says.

Example: M1880 asks about the patient's ability to prepare light meals, "e.g., cereal, sandwich."

Many other kinds of light meals would also qualify for this item.

Note: For more OASIS C guidance, see Eli's OASIS Alert at  www.elihealthcare.com.