Several questions have been raised regarding the Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality Reporting Program (ASCQR), including questions about reporting on use of the safe surgery checklist, says Gina Throneberry, RN, MBA, CASC, CNOR, director of education and clinical affairs for the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). Throneberry spoke on ASC quality reporting at the recent ASCA annual meeting.
For 2014 and beyond, you must use the checklist for the entire year in order to answer "yes" regarding its use, Throneberry said. For the data collected Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2014, for the safe surgery checklist, providers must report "yes" or "no" on the Quality Net web site (www.qualitynet.org) between Jan. 1, 2015, and Aug. 15, 2015.
Another frequently asked question is whether ASCs still have to report measures ASC-1 through ASC-5. The answer is yes, on the Medicare 1500 Claim Form, Throneberry said.
Questions also have arisen regarding the best ways to collect data, according to Donna Slosburg, RN, BSN, LHRM, CASC, executive director of the ASC Quality Collaboration (ASC QC). Slosburg, who also spoke at the ASCA meeting, refers ASCs to the "excellent" data collection tools at http://www.oqrsupport.com/asc/tools. She specifically pointed out the one for quality measure "ASC-9: Appropriate Follow-Up Interval for Normal Colonoscopy in Average Risk Patients" at http://bit.ly/1ng6mE0.
Throneberry and Slosburg offered answers to other frequently asked questions (FAQs), with answers supported by www.qualitynet.org:
• Question: Do we need to include pre-admission testing (PAT) visits conducted in an ASC for the ASCQR Program?
Answer: A visit for PAT is not considered an ASC admission for purposes of the ASCQR Program.
• Question: Can we submit claims to correct G codes?
Answer: Do not re-submit a claim only for the purpose of correcting or adding G-codes. Resubmission of claims should occur only to collect the payment from the original date of service.
• Question: When will ASC quality reporting end?
Answer: The ASCQR Program is an ongoing program that will continue to evolve and grow, with new measures being added periodically.