The version 7.0 manual includes the following:
Chapter 1, QM Sample and Record Selection Methodology, includes information about definitions, selecting QM samples, short-stay record definitions, and long-stay record definitions.

Chapter 2, MDS 3.0 Quality Measures Logical Specifications, breaks down the definitions, including numerators, denominators, and potential exclusions, for the publicly reported short-stay QMs and long-stay QMs

Appendix A, Technical Details

Appendix B, Parameters Used for Each Quarter

Appendix C, Episode and Stay Determination

Appendix D, Measures Withdrawn from NQF Submission

Appendix E, Surveyor Quality Measures, defines the survey-only QMs that are not publicly reported.

Appendix F, Specifications for the Facility Characteristics Report

Download the manual and ID table below

MDS30-QM-User’s-Manual-V70_04-03-2013

QMID-by-CMS-Reporting-Module-V12-for-User’s-Manual-V70

This dictionary details the QCLI components and thresholds for investigation in the Quality Indicator Survey (QIS). It is maintained on the QIES Technical Support Office website here. The dictionary was most recently updated in April 2013. Download the revised version, as well as a CMS memo describing the changes, below.

QCLI Dictionary by Care Area 04/2013 [PDF 429 KB] (posted 04/04/2013)

Updated_QIS-QCLI_Data_Dictionary42013 (CMS memo)

Memo # 13-23-ALL

Posting Date 2013-04-05

Fiscal Year 2013

Memorandum Summary

• Sequester: Across-the-board federal budget reductions as required by the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended, popularly known as “sequestration,” took effect March 1, 2013.

• Priority: Our priority is in maintaining public protections. State survey agency (SA) functions are central to that priority.

• Action: In this memorandum we describe adjustments we are making that affect State operations and that are intended to accommodate sequestration.

Download the memo below.

Survey & Cert Letter 13-23

Notice: Five Star Preview Reports (Posted 04/11/2013)

The Five Star Preview Reports will be available beginning April 13th. To access these reports, select the CASPER Reporting link located at the top of your MDS State Welcome page. Once in the CASPER Reporting system, click on the ‘Folders’ button and access the Five Star Report in your ‘st LTC facid’ folder, where st is the 2-character postal code of the state in which your facility is located and facid is the state-assigned Facility ID of your facility.

Nursing Home Compare will update with March’s Five Star data on April 18th, 2013.

Important Note: The 5 Star Help line (800-839-9290) will be available from April 15 through April 19, 2013. Provider preview reports will continue to be available on a monthly basis in advance of public posting and will include the dates and hours of helpline availability.BetterCare@cms.hhs.gov is an alternative communication medium to direct inquiries.