OASIS Alert

Don’t be too quick to choose ‘NA.’

Many OASIS items include an “NA” or “Unknown” response, but these aren’t always the best choices.

OASIS guidance instructs you to minimize your use of “NA” and “Unknown” responses.

Remember, when you choose “NA” or “Unknown,” your response won’t generate any outcomes or risk adjustment. So it’s important to select these responses only when no other answer is appropriate.

Caution: Just because your patient won’t answer, don’t select “NA” or “Unknown.” Refer to item-specific guidance to learn when these responses are appropriate for each OASIS question.

For example: M2030 — Management of Injectable Medications asks you to assess your patient’s current ability to prepare and take all prescribed injectable medications reliably and safely. You can select response “NA” for this item if there are no current, ongoing orders for administering an intramuscular or subcutaneous injectable medication via needle and syringe in the home at the time of discharge.