Abstract
Consistency in answering the questions on the Outcomes Assessment Information Set (OASIS) remains a challenge to home health care professionals. It is a high stakes challenge because reimbursement under the prospective payment system rests largely on how the OASIS questions are answered. Answers to OASIS questions that pertain to activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) appear to be a particular source of inconsistency among health care professionals. The authors designed a tool to be used to assist the home care professional to answer the ADL and IADL questions with enhanced consistency. This article will discuss the importance of accurate functional assessment and implications for the use of a measurement tool by home health care professionals, describe the process of designing the tool, and propose a method for testing it.
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