Version 5271, which we plan to make available on tonight’s update, will include several changes to the H485 Plan of Care. These changes are the result of adding features that will allow the form to also be used for Hospice.
In the past we have maintained two separate screen versions of the H485 Plan of Care input screens (two different software programs). One software version was used for the clinical software and one software version for the main system. It has been extremely difficult in the past to keep the two versions consistent with which fields and options were available on the screens. In the future the H485 screens in the main system will be the same screens that show in the clinical software which will allow us to only have to maintain one copy of the H485 source code. We made changes to the clinical version to make sure it has all of the features that the main system screens had.
We have also rearranged the screen layout to incorporate the changes needed for Hospice along with adding a new alternative format option for Hospice that affects how the H485 prints. We have also added some new check boxes in areas such as DME and supplies, that were available in assessments but not available in the H485.
Finally, most of our users are now using what we call the free form generic H485, but we have been maintaining the old H485/H487 format that breaks up many sections of the H485 and displays the remainder on the H487. Users like the newer free form generic version because the sections do not split and sections like medications don’t have to be squeezed into a very small space. The new format also allows us to incorporate the Face-to-Face features. We maintained the old format because a few of our users felt that it was the “official” approved version. CMS discontinued the requirement that that form had to be used several years ago. We no long plan to support the old H485/H487 version which means that version is now obsolete when it comes to the additional fields we have just added. The new fields will only show on the current formats.
We will appreciate any comments you may want to pass along to us concerning these changes. Thanks.