Powerful Quality Assurance Tool Gives Nursing Homes Road Map to Managing QIS Investigations and Regulatory Compliance

abaqis® Quality Assurance System Expands Capability to Manage In-depth Investigations

Tuesday, March 02, 2010 —

When abaqis^® was introduced less than two years ago, it was a revolutionary new quality assurance system to help nursing homes prepare for the new federal inspection process called Quality Indicator Survey (QIS) and improve their resident quality of care year-round. Now abaqis is an even more powerful tool. Called "Stage 2 Suite," this new generation of abaqis not only identifies residents at the highest risk for an in-depth investigation, it guides nursing homes through the same investigation protocol used in the QIS that focuses on corrective action for procedures, training and performance concerns.
 
"abaqis Stage 1 Suite is similar to a diagnostic tool that helps identify areas of concern in a nursing home that could trigger a Stage 2 investigation," said Shawn Scott, Medline's Vice President of Corporate Sales. "The new Stage 2 Suite goes the next step to provide facilities the road map and tools to take corrective action in these areas using the same processes as the QIS."

abaqis Stage 2 Suite is a fully web-based tool that guides the nursing home through the same investigation protocol of the Critical Element pathways, Triggered Tasks and Surveyor Guidance used during a QIS survey.  Stage 2 Suite also includes tools to manage and track the facility level tasks conducted during a QIS survey. Using these tools will bring insight into areas for improvement at a broad facility level, as well as at an individual resident level.
 
abaqis Stage 2 Suite helps users manage and track Stage 2 in-depth investigations to ensure compliance with assessment, care planning and provision of service regulations. Since Stage 2 Suite uses the same investigative tools used in the QIS survey, nursing homes will further manage their risk by ensuring proper documentation is in place.

As the only quality assessment and reporting system for nursing homes tied directly to the QIS, abaqis gives providers the unique opportunity to use QIS tools and approaches for ongoing quality assurance and continuous survey readiness.  Users are able to identify quality concerns in the same manner as surveyors and address those concerns before, rather than after, a survey.

"Ensuring quality of care and quality of life for residents, as well as being continuously survey-ready, is a challenge for any healthcare organization," said Andrew Kramer, M.D., CEO of Nursing Home Quality. "With abaqis Stage 2 Suite, users will not only be able to identify areas of concern, but also follow the same in-depth investigations as surveyors so they can plan corrective actions to improve resident care on an ongoing basis."

abaqis is sold through Medline Industries, Inc. abaqis is a registered trademark of Nursing Home Quality, LLC, who developed the quality assurance tool, and the same company the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) contracts with to train the State Survey Agencies nationwide on the use of QIS.   To learn more about the abaqis Nursing Home Quality Assurance System, visit www.medline.com/abaqis or call 1-800-MEDLINE.

Medline, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies. Headquartered in Mundelein, IL, Medline has more than 900 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.

Over the past five years, Medline has been the fastest growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to over 450 major hospitals and health care systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing the supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities, and on-staff clinicians.

Medline has a growing network of 32 distribution centers around the country, as well as an expanding, dedicated transportation fleet with over 200 vehicles in a variety of sizes to fit customers' specific delivery needs. The fleet is equipped with the latest navigation devices for enhanced order tracking and communication.