OASIS Alert

Question: Our patient had a burn with orders for the nurse to assess and change the dressing twice weekly. The patient is leaving the geographical area. Our physical therapist is making the last visit and completing the discharge comprehensive assessment. She will not be changing the burn dressing on the discharge visit. How do we answer M1350? Is M1350 asking whether the agency provided intervention to the wound on the day of discharge or is it asking whether the patient had a wound on the day of assessment that required intervention from the agency, even though they didn't receive a specific intervention on the day of the discharge?

Answer: M1350, Skin Lesion or Open Wound, asks whether the patient has a skin lesion or open wound on the day of the assessment that is receiving intervention by the home health agency. The intervention doesn't need to be provided on the day of the assessment; your agency just needs to be providing ongoing assessment and/or clinical intervention as part of the planned or provided care.

If, at the discharge assessment, there are wounds or lesions that still require intervention from the agency, the answer to M1350 would be "Yes," the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services responded in the April 2011 Quarterly CMS OASIS Certificate and Competency Board Q&As. "This is true even if the intervention was not provided that day," CMS said. For example, if the burn requires ongoing dressing changes and assessment, but the physical therapist does not perform a dressing change or assessment on the day of the discharge, you would answer "Yes."

If, at the discharge assessment, there are no wounds or lesions that still require intervention from the agency, the answer to M1350 is "No," CMS advised. For example, if the burn had healed and no longer needed assessment or dressing changes, you would answer "No."