CMS Reviews Traditional and QIS Surveys

CMS issued a summary comparing findings from the traditional survey and QIS survey. The summary notes that CMS  continues to evaluate both the traditional survey and the QIS processes to identify, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the strengths and limitations of each system. According to CMS, these efforts involve considerable data analysis from survey results, user feedback from CMS Regional Offices and State Survey Agencies, technical expert panels, reviews of CMS Form 2567 statements of deficiencies and observational reviews of the survey processes. CMS is taking some steps to allign the two different processes and is looking to make some improvements in the QIS process including software improvements, reducing sample size, enhancing surveyor training and exploring strategies to incorporate some QIS tools into the traditional survey.

Currently about half of the states use the QIS process. New York uses the QIS survey process in all regions with the exception of the Central Region. Surveyors in that region will begin QIS training in the later part of 2015; New York intends to move toward full QIS implementation within the next year or so. 

The CMS summary points out some interesting issues. Two major issues facing states since the QIS was implemented are:

1. the lengthy training model for new QIS surveyors, and
2. data that continue to demonstrate that QIS onsite time is longer than the traditional survey process.

States that have experienced increased surveyor turnover compounds these two issues. As a result, some states are falling short on meeting the statutorily required average and maximum survey interval time. In order for the QIS to be deemed feasible for full implementation, it is important that it be resource neutral in terms of the total surveyor time required. At this time, the QIS survey is taking approximately 20 hours longer to complete than the traditional survey. A new software release in July 2015 hopes to decrease the onsite time.

Contact: Elliott Frost, efrost@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8832