An ongoing area of concern for home care providers is collecting O utcome and AS essment I nformation S et (OASIS) data. As physical therapist Rita Ball, Director of Rehabilitation Services from Genesys Home and Hospice Care in Flint, MI, says, "It is a challenge to keep my staff and myself abreast of the numerous clarifications and challenges in the OASIS." In addition, she says she is constantly reminded of the "increasing importance and use of the data " that are being collected. As a result, she must constantly challenge her staff daily to be "more accurate and more competent " in collecting OASIS data.
While Ms. Ball was wondering how best to challenge her staff, another question emerged:"Just how competent amI in this area?"
OCCB: Promoting Greater OASIS Consistency and Reliability
For Ms. Ball and for other managers responsible for training staff or who serve as part of a multidisciplinary team that must ensure consistent data gathering, the answer to "How competent are we?" may be found through a new organization, the nonprofit OASIS Certificate and Competency Board (OCCB).
According to Linda Krulish, PT, MHS, and OCCB President, the organization's goal is "to encourage and promote greater reliability in OASIS data through the consistent application of guidelines provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)" (personal communication, 2004).
National Exam Offered
To accomplish its goal, OCCB has developed a national OASIS certificate exam for home health nurses, therapists, or other providers who are responsible for conducting comprehensive assessments, scoring OASIS data, auditing clinical records, and educating or orienting staff.
This certificate is also appropriate for providers, educators, or researchers who share an interest in and commitment to OASIS data accuracy, and who wish to evaluate their knowledge of CMS scoring guidelines.
OCCB offers the exam live, on a variety of dates and at numerous sites throughout the United States. The cost is $250 for candidates who are members of their state home health association and $300 for nonmembers.
The COS-C Exam
According to Ms. Krulish, the examination "evaluates a clinician's ability to consistently apply CMS guidelines in the completion of OASIS as part of the comprehensive patient exam."
Individuals who achieve passing scores on the exam will be awarded a Certificate for OASIS Specialist-Clinical (COS-C) designation and certificate. Maintaining the COS-C designation requires that the certificate be renewed through retesting every 3 years.
Exam Contents
The multiple-choice examination contents are based on statements and guidance provided by CMS and consist of questions about 1) general conventions, 2) item-by-item data collection guidelines, 3) time points, 4) patient populations, and 5) other OASIS regulations and requirements.
The OCCB Web Site
The OCCB Web site (http://www.oasiscertification.org/) provides all the information that a person interested in a COS-C certificate will need to learn about the exam, review for the exam, find test sites, and register for testing or certificate renewal. Visit the OCCB site and look for the following links on the left side of the page:
Resources: This key portion of the site provides links to the information that candidates must be familiar with to pass the exam. Links are provided to core documents.
Exam Description: Provides an overview of the exam and topic areas. Also provides links for exam registration and certificate renewal.
Testing: Lists current sites for live testing, notes registration deadlines for the current month, and provides a link to a list of future exam sites and dates. Information about testing site protocols, test scores, and exam fees, as well as registration and renewal links, are also provided.
One Test Taker's Experience
Ms. Ball found this resource list to be of tremendous value in preparing for the certification exam. "I noted many resources that I knew were available, but that I had not had time to become familiar with." She also found the Web-based training and practice quizzes particularly helpful. The OCCB OASIS teleconference series, she adds, "really helped me to assimilate all of the materials that I had reviewed from the various resources."
This series, available in CD or audiotapes, includes five 1-hour teleconferences originally presented in September and October 2004 by a panel of national experts, including CMS representatives, state OASIS Education Coordinators, ABT Associates-a research firm involved with OASIS from its inception, and OASIS ANSWERS, Inc., an OASIS training and resources organization.
Ms. Ball says that preparing for and taking the exam helped her become an expert in identifying and using the resources available to home care professionals to improve comprehensive assessment and OASIS skills. Preparing for the certification exam, she noted, "renewed my energy and commitment to return to our team and make sure that our agency uses all the tools available for staff education."
Additional information about the OASIS Certification and Competency Board is available:
[black small square] Voice: (337) 560-9676
[black small square] Email: [email protected]
[black small square] Web site: http://www.oasiscertificate.org