Common Questions on Coding for MDS 3.0 Section M: Skin Conditions

I recently gave another training session for nursing home professionals for MDS 3.0 Section M: Skin Conditions.  In the audience were nurses, directors of nursing, administrators, MDS coordinators and a smattering of physical therapists, doctors, and social workers. ...

Straight Talk on Reverse Staging of Pressure Ulcers

The issue of “reverse staging” or “backstaging” of pressure ulcers as they heal is often a cause for confusion, even for some experts.  With this blog post I hope to clarify things and explain why reverse staging is now discouraged when assessing wounds, and place the...

Does MDS 3.0 Section M Avoid the Unavoidable?

The revised Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) with the new MDS 3.0 Section M: Skin Conditions radically expands the assessment process for pressure ulcers in Medicare certified skilled nursing facilities.  In contrast to the prior version, there are data fields for...

CMS Tightens Up Pressure Ulcer Classification in Long-term Care

Revised Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Section M: Skin Conditions greatly expands the process of skin assessment in nursing homes.  The accompanying Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) Instruction Manual has instructions on how to identify and code pressure ulcers and...

Updated Pressure Ulcer Guide Goes into Second Printing

The Pocket Guide to Pressure ulcers authored by myself and Elizabeth Ayello RN PhD has sold over 11,000 copies and is now going into its second printing.  Published by the New Jersey Hospital Association, the new version has been updated with consideration of Centers...

Determining the Avoidability of Pressure Ulcers

One of the biggest challenges in caring for patients with pressure ulcers from a risk-management  standpoint is determining whether the ulcer was avoidable.  The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel has recently come out with a statement that “Not all pressure...