• Crisler KS, Hittle DF, Conway KS, West LR, Shaughnessy PW, Richard AA, Powell MC, Lawlor KL, Donelan-McCall NS, Beaudry JM, Baillie LL, Schlenker RE, Engle K. OASIS and outcome-based quality improvement in home health care: research and demonstration findings, policy implications, and considerations for future change. Vol. 3, Research and clinical supporting documents [9 supporting documents]. Denver (CO): Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; 2002 Feb 1.



• Hittle DF, Crisler KS, Beaudry JM, Conway KS, Shaughnessy PW, West LR, Richard AA. OASIS and outcome-based quality improvement in home health care: research and demonstration findings, policy implications, and considerations for future change. Vol. 4, OASIS chronicle and recommendations. Denver (CO): Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; 2002 Feb 1.



• Home health compare - data details. [internet]. Baltimore (MD): Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); [updated 2009 Nov 17]; [accessed 2004 Sep 29]. [9 p].



• Shaughnessy PW, Crisler KS, Hittle DF, Schlenker RE, Conway KS, West LR, Powell MC, Richard AA. OASIS and outcome-based quality improvement in home health care: research and demonstration findings, policy implications, and considerations for future change. Vol. 1, Policy and program overview. Denver (CO): Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; 2002 Feb 1.



• Shaughnessy PW, Hittle DF, Crisler KS, Powell MC, Richard AA, Kramer AM, Schlenker RE, Steiner JF, Donelan-McCall NS, Beaudry JM, Engle K, Conway KS, West LR. OASIS and outcome-based quality improvement in home health care: research and demonstration findings, policy implications, and considerations for future change. Vol. 2, Research and technical overview. Denver (CO): Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; 2002 Feb 1.

Does not apply to this measure

This measure is used to assess the percentage of home health care patients whose urinary incontinence improved compared to a prior assessment

The measure identifies the presence of urinary incontinence or condition that requires urinary catheterization of any type, including intermittent or indwelling. The etiology (cause) of incontinence is not addressed in this measure.

Urinary continence is an important factor affecting patient comfort, skin integrity, ability to engage in normal daily activities, and ability to continue or resume independent living at home. Reduction in or resolution of urinary incontinence in home health patients can reflect care that is attentive to resolving a problem that restricts patients socially as well as functionally.

This is one of 41 OASIS-based measures for which Medicare-certified home health agencies receive performance reports from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The reports cover Medicare and Medicaid adult non-maternity patients and compare each agency's rates to national reference rates and to the agency's own rates in the previous year. The reports provide home health agencies with information they can use to improve quality of care by targeting care practices that influence specific patient functioning and health status, as part of a comprehensive quality improvement approach.

This measure is also one of ten Home Health Quality Initiative measures; a resource to help consumers compare home health agencies, and they are intended to motivate home health agencies to improve care and to inform discussions about quality between consumers and clinicians.

Home health care; urinary incontinence; urinary catheter

All patients with a completed home health episode of care (except those defined in the denominator exclusion) who were eligible to improve in urinary incontinence (i.e., were not at the optimal level of health status according to the "Urinary Incontinence or Urinary Catheter Presence" OASIS* item) (see the related "Denominator Inclusions/Exclusions" field in the Complete Summary)

*Outcome and Assessment Information Set

Patients from the denominator whose urinary incontinence improved compared to a prior assessment (see the related "Numerator Inclusions/Exclusions" field in the Complete Summary)

Special or unique data

Improvement in urinary incontinence.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado, under contract to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

New York State Department of Health

Peter W. Shaughnessy, PhD; Kathryn S. Crisler, MS, RN; Robert E. Schlenker, PhD; David F. Hittle, PhD; Martha C. Powell, PhD; Angela Arnold Richard, MS, RN; Andrew M. Kramer, MD; Eugene J. Nuccio, PhD; and other staff of the Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado

None apply

National Quality Forum

Home Health Compare
National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR)
National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR)

This measure was not adapted from another source.

1998 Oct

2002 Feb

This is the current release of the measure.

• Crisler KS, Hittle DF, Conway KS, West LR, Shaughnessy PW, Richard AA, Powell MC, Lawlor KL, Donelan-McCall NS, Beaudry JM, Baillie LL, Schlenker RE, Engle K. OASIS and outcome-based quality improvement in home health care: research and demonstration findings, policy implications, and considerations for future change. Vol. 3, Research and clinical supporting documents [9 supporting documents]. Denver (CO): Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; 2002 Feb 1.



• Hittle DF, Crisler KS, Beaudry JM, Conway KS, Shaughnessy PW, West LR, Richard AA. OASIS and outcome-based quality improvement in home health care: research and demonstration findings, policy implications, and considerations for future change. Vol. 4, OASIS chronicle and recommendations. Denver (CO): Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; 2002 Feb 1.



• Home health compare - data details. [internet]. Baltimore (MD): Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); [updated 2009 Nov 17]; [accessed 2004 Sep 29]. [9 p].



• Shaughnessy PW, Crisler KS, Hittle DF, Schlenker RE, Conway KS, West LR, Powell MC, Richard AA. OASIS and outcome-based quality improvement in home health care: research and demonstration findings, policy implications, and considerations for future change. Vol. 1, Policy and program overview. Denver (CO): Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; 2002 Feb 1.



• Shaughnessy PW, Hittle DF, Crisler KS, Powell MC, Richard AA, Kramer AM, Schlenker RE, Steiner JF, Donelan-McCall NS, Beaudry JM, Engle K, Conway KS, West LR. OASIS and outcome-based quality improvement in home health care: research and demonstration findings, policy implications, and considerations for future change. Vol. 2, Research and technical overview. Denver (CO): Center for Health Services Research, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center; 2002 Feb 1.

The individual measure, "Improvement in Urinary Incontinence," is published in "OASIS and Outcome-Based Quality Improvement in Home Health Care: Research and Demonstration Findings, Policy Implications, and Considerations for Future Change. Volumes 1-4."

This NQMC summary was completed by ECRI on March 21, 2005. The information was verified by the measure developer on June 20, 2005 and was reviewed and edited on September 26, 2005.

No copyright restrictions apply.