In March 2019, CMS released the CMS Roadmap for Fighting the Opioid Crisis. One aspect of this roadmap is a directive to address how quality measures may provide incentives for inappropriate opioid prescribing. We believe facilities have taken strong actions to prevent the overuse of opioids. However, due to the severity of the Opioid Crisis, we want to avoid any potential scenario where a facility’s performance on the pain quality measures may inappropriately contribute to their decision to seek the administration of an opioid. To support this, CMS will be removing two quality measures from the Nursing Home Compare website and the Five Star Quality Rating System in October 2019. These measures are:
• Percentage of short-stay residents who report moderate to severe pain.
• Percentage of long-stay residents who report moderate to severe pain.
Original Article By CMS: Continue Reading…