The Importance of Facility Assessments in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Meeting CMS 3442-F Minimum Staffing Standards

As the landscape of healthcare continues to evolve, the importance of thorough and consistent facility assessments in skilled nursing facilities cannot be overstated. Leaders in healthcare must ask themselves several critical questions: How are we keeping track of our facility data? What does our facility assessment look like? Who is responsible for completing these assessments? What systems can we trust to transmit data through the Minimum Data Set (MDS) or to handle Electronic Medical Records (EMR)?

As the new CMS 3442-F Final Rule goes into effect in August 2024, facilities must be prepared to address the enhanced facility assessment requirements. Even with the staggered implementation timeline, having the right tools in place to maximize efficient response will be critical.

A reliable system for facility assessments eliminates the guesswork and reduces the burden of paperwork. For example, HealthStream’s Quality Manager (formerly known as abaqis) streamlines this process by integrating MDS data and performing necessary calculations on your behalf. This automation transforms complex data into an easy-to-digest report, enabling you to focus on evaluating and addressing areas for improvement rather than spending time on number-crunching tasks.

Adopting such systems offers considerable benefits, including:

• Automated Facility Assessments: Utilizing MDS data to automate much of the facility assessment process, resulting in a report that is straightforward and comprehensible.
• Regulatory Communication: Demonstrating to state surveyors that your facility has adequate resources to care for your resident population.
• Time Efficiency: Significant time savings by reducing the need for manual calculations, allowing staff to concentrate on implementing improvements.

Quality Manager’s Facility Assessment Tool includes:

• Updates to the Staffing Plan Template to include more information and recommendations based on new regulations.
• Updated data capture, recommendations, and suggested language designed to address regulatory compliance.
• Updates to the MDS analysis to allow for trending and greater frequency of review.
• Updates will include the ability to easily document additional required contributors such
  as direct care staff.

Investing in a dependable system like HealthStream’s Quality Manager can be a game-changer for skilled nursing facilities, ensuring that leaders can allocate their time and resources efficiently while maintaining compliance and enhancing the quality of care provided to residents.