MDS Alert

Find out how you might use this data for your own facility.

If you are wondering how much time doing an MDS typically requires and whether MDS nurses appear to be spending more or less time on various assessment types than in years past, you're in luck.

The time that facilities spend on some types of MDS assessment has increased somewhat, according to a recent American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators' member survey.

A comparison of the results of AANAC's 2007 and 2009 surveys in terms of hours spent on surveys are as follows, according to a press release from the organization:

Admission assessment 2.62 2.85

Annual assessment 2.03 2.06

Significant change 2.23 2.17

in condition assessment

Quarterly assessment 0.97 1.13

"[The times recorded for] completion of the MDS would include reviewing records, interviewing the resident, and observation -- anything it takes to answer questions on the forms," says Diane Carter, RN, MSN, RAC-CT, C-NE, AANAC president and CEO. "It does not include the time to complete the RAPs or care plan," she tells Eli.

"Doing a RAP assessment and care planning on an admission assessment would take more time than it would on a significant change assessment," she points out.

"The AANAC survey information about the time required to complete the MDS 2.0 assessments is not based on scientific research," says consultant Rena Shephard, MHA, RN, RAC-MT, C-NE, founding chair and executive editor for AANAC. "But it is based on responses from our members, who are the ones in a position to know," she says. "And this is the best information available on this topic in the country."

Shephard advises her clients to use the AANAC survey information in combination with data from their facility's software that tells them how many different types of assessments they've done over a year's time. That can help them calculate the amount of MDS staff time they need, she says.