OASIS Alert

Question: Our patient scored no risk on the Braden Scale for predicting pressure ulcer risk. But the nurse also performed an evaluation of clinical factors and determined that the patient is at risk for pressure ulcers. How should we answer M1300 -- Pressure ulcer assessment?

Answer: OASIS item M1300 asks whether you assessed the patient's risk for ulcer development. In your scenario, you could answer either 1 -- Yes, based on an evaluation of clinical factors, e.g., mobility, incontinence, nutrition, etc., without use of standardized tool or 2 -- Yes, using a standardized tool, e.g., Braden, Norton, other.

But no matter which of these options you select for M1300, you must make certain your response to M1302 correlates to your M1300 response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said in the January 2011 Quarterly CMS OCCB Q&As. "If a standardized assessment was administered alone or in addition to an assessment of clinical factors, the results of either assessment can be reported in M1302, but would correlate to M1300."

For example: If you answered M1302 with 1 -- Yes, because the evaluation of clinical factors identifies risk, then you should answer M1300 with 1 -- Yes, based on an evaluation of clinincal factors, CMS said.

If, on the other hand, you answered M1302 with 0 -- No because the standardized tool -- the Braden Scale in the example scenario --revealed no risk, then you would answer M1300 with 2 -- Yes, using a standardized tool ....

Note: To read the rest of the January 2011 Quarterly CMS OCCB Q&As visit www.oasisanswers.com/downloads/PPP_CMS_OCCB_4th_Qtr_QA%27s_01_19_2011.pdf.