As a part of its Hospice Quality Reporting Program听(HQRP),听the听Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)听recently hosted a webinar to update听hospice听providers on the pilot study of the Hospice Evaluation and Reporting Tool (HEART) that is planned to replace the Hospice Item Set. This reporting tool听is currently being used by hospice providers to听report听quality measures gathered at the time of a patient鈥檚听hospice听admission and discharge.听CMS听showed a level of transparency and engagement听in this webinar that听offered several key insights.听听听
New听Assessment Tool听
Hospice providers are听the only听sector of听post-acute听care听without a comprehensive assessment tool used to collect and report data to CMS. The agency听is working to create an assessment tool听to align听with other post-acute听sectors.听The goal is to have hospice providers collect and track more听meaningful data that is, most听likely, going to be eventually tracked to reimbursement.听听Hospice providers have long been concerned that this type of assessment, thought to be much like the听OASIS assessment听used in听home health,听will be burdensome and interfere with听interdisciplinary, specialized care they听provide.听听
The first version of the HEART was released听for beta testing听in early 2019.听 The beta testing was cancelled shortly after it began.听CMS webinars following the release and recall of the initial HEART听lacked the coordination between CMS and providers needed to move forward.听听
Developing the New HEART听
During the most recent call听this month, team members of the CMS HQRP team explained the process they will听use to create the new听HEART.听听The development will include information gathering,听preliminary draft development,听alpha and beta testing听to听refine听the assessment, rule–making and national implementation.听听
Currently, the team is in the process of collecting information.听This year听CMS held listening sessions at听conferences for both the听听and the听.听They听are also conducting听literature reviews and听will be听conducting focus groups.听听
Hospice providers听who听would like to听participate听in the development of the HEART tool听can听be a participant in one of nine focus groups being held this summer. These focus groups will听provide feedback about听the following:听
- What it means to provide quality hospice care听
- How the HEART can measure holistic, patient-centered care听
- What is important in an assessment tool听
- Any concerns听that participants may have听
- How the HEART can assist in meeting the needs of the patient and their loved ones听
- How data can be collected without interfering with the care of the declining and/or dying patient,听among other things.听
If you would like to be a participant in one of the focus groups, CMS will be posting updates on their听听If you have questions or comments for the HQRP team, you can send to the HQRP monitored email听HospiceAssessment@cms.hhs.gov.听