I don’t know about you but I don’t like small appliances that only do one task. Don’t buy me an appliance if it isn’t multi-functional or I'll return it! So why should reports be any different?
As with anything in life, there is good news and bad news about reports. First, the bad news. We have more reports that tell us more about our centers than we sometimes care to know. CASPER, PB&J, Quality Measures, 5-star, wound logs, fall logs, pharmacy, 24 hour, RUGs/PPS/MDS, weight loss, rehospitalizations, infection control...the list just goes on and on!
When was the last time you reviewed each report that crosses your desk? I know that you have your “favorite” reports that you review religiously and others that you rarely look at. But if you can't remember the last time you reviewed a report, you could be headed for trouble!
The good news? It is possible to break reports into smaller bites! The 5-star report is a great example. You can review several areas in one report—Quality Measures, Staffing, star rating, survey history, past citations, and soon you may also be able to review satisfaction outcomes as well. What a novel idea!
What Are Your High-Priority Reports?
Of course having one report that will do all things for all people is a dream. So, which individual reports are the most important to you? This can vary from one center to another, but anything that has governmental oversight should be included in your top five. Here are a few examples of what a typical center may consider important.
5-Star Report
This report can impact customer opinion and, ultimately, census. It provides data on QMs, staffing, survey history, etc. and is viewed by your prospective customers.
RUG/PPS/MDS Reports
This is where the rubber meets the road regarding billing for services. If billing practices aren’t accurate, you're at risk of huge penalties.
PB&J Report
Not the sandwich, but payroll-based journal. Remember, Medicare doesn’t like to pay for services they feel aren’t being provided—staffing for acuity is critical. When a resident experiences a negative outcome, one of the first areas reviewed is staffing, so be sure you know your numbers are where you expect them to be!
Weight Loss/Wound/Fall Reports
These are hot buttons for Medicare, because if these areas flag on the QM report, it may mean you aren’t looking closely at your internal reports on a regular basis!
Rehospitalization/30-day Discharge Report
Now a quality measure, this is a targeted area for surveyors, hospital discharge planners, and plaintiff attorneys. But more importantly, it indicates if residents are experiencing negative outcomes related to transfer trauma, increased risk of infection, falls, or pressure injuries!
Manage Your Reports Better
Which reports do you find most helpful in keeping your center running smoothly? Is it time to look at other options to help make the task less daunting? If so, give us a call! QA Reader incident management software has just the solution—with the click of a button, you can generate a report that gathers data from multiple levels, including
- Types of injuries
- Times of falls
- Frequent fallers
- Monthly tracking
- Trending graphs and charts
