The Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) is a process that was developed through the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services for measuring nursing home effectiveness. According to the CMS, “The QIS is a two-staged survey process that was designed to produce a standardized resident-centered, outcome-oriented quality review. It uses an automated process that guides surveyors through a structured investigation intended to allow surveyors to systematically and objectively review all regulatory areas and subsequently focus on selected areas for further review.”
We asked Peter Payerli, National Sales Director at Relias, to share his thinking on some of the benefits of QIS tools, but also why these tools aren’t as helpful as you might think.
Peter’s perspective on online QIS assessment tools
An online QIS assessment is intended to help you prepare for a survey by giving you an analysis of the areas where you need to improve quality BEFORE auditors arrive.
Unfortunately, online QIS assessment tools don’t get at the root cause of the challenge, which of course is better training and education. Many of the online tools available, in old advertising language, are a lot of sizzle and not much steak. Those systems take the MDS data that skilled nursing homes provide, and through manual data entry, claim to provide an after-the-fact assessment of where you need more training.
In reality, providers would be best served by having proactive training courses focused on the minimum data set (MDS) rather than waiting until a QIS shows them that they have a problem.
A good learning management system (LMS) can be a living, breathing QIS and QAPI (quality assurance and performance improvement) tool. For example, the Relias LMS allows providers to:
- Assign the right courses on minimum data set (MDS) to train the MDS coordinator correctly in the first place with best-in-class education from AIS.
- Track course completion and perform a real-time needs assessment.
- Fill any education gaps with additional courses, or assign personalized video courseware with your own MDS expert to personalize training, transfer knowledge and hopefully stimulate behavior change.
When you do this, you drive a better outcome for the biggest revenue driver in Skilled Nursing, the MDS and RAI.
The Relias Learning Management System is the education source code for better revenue capture success and reductions in fines, not an after-the-fact tool that points you to mistakes already made.
Live in the sunshine knowing how your nursing home is reimbursed. Focus your resources on the proper training for that MDS job role!
