Home Health ICD-9/ICD-10 Alert

Question: If you have more than six diagnoses for a patient, where on the OASIS or 485 should you list them? We are confused about this.

-- Oklahoma Subscriber

Answer: First you must remember that OASIS data items are not considered to be a comprehensive assessment by themselves. There are usually more than six diagnoses to document, so your form should have room for additional pertinent diagnoses.

The Home Health Agency Conditions of Participation require that all pertinent diagnoses be included on the plan of care, so the assessment document should allow for the documentation of all of the patient's additional diagnoses.

Place additional diagnoses in field Locator 13 on the plan of care (aka the 485). If the 485 Locator 13 is filled, then the form 487 may be used as an addendum to the 485. Some software vendors place additional diagnoses in Field Locator 21.