Improved Quality of Care, Use of Antibiotics Headline CMS Proposed Rule for Hospitals

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) has issued a Proposed Rule for hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs), changing the requirements for participation in Medicare and Medicaid.

The proposed updates to the requirements would improve quality of care by reducing readmissions; reducing barriers to care; reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired conditions (including healthcare-associated infections); improving the use of antibiotics (including the potential for reduced antibiotic resistance); addressing workforce shortage issues; and improving patient protections.

Specifically, the newly proposed rules would require hospitals and CAHs to have hospital-wide infection prevention and control, as well as antibiotic stewardship programs for the surveillance, prevention, and control of health care–associated infections and other infectious diseases, and for ensuring the appropriate use of all antibiotics. Additionally, hospitals and CAHs will need to designate qualified leaders for infectious prevention and antibiotic stewardship programs, which allows for staffing flexibility. Hospitals and CAHs will also be required to establish a policy prohibiting discrimination.

In addition to the new requirements from CMS, the proposed rule will also make several clarifications to current requirements. Hospitals would be required to change the term “licensed independent practitioner” to “licensed practitioner;” the Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program must incorporate data related to hospital readmissions; patient medical records must contain information to justify all admissions and continues hospitalizations; patient medical records must include document discharge and transfer summaries; and hospitals must clarify that patient may access their medical records in a form requested by the patient, whether that be electronically or hard copy format.

CMS is accepting comments and opinions on the proposed rule through August 15, 2016.

Reference:

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS Issues Proposed Rule that Prohibits Discrimination, Reduces Hospital-Acquired Conditions, and Promotes Antibiotic Stewardship in Hospitals [press release]. cms.gov. June 13, 2016