CMS this month has released five pages of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the IMPACT Act.
 
The FAQs came to CMS from Oct. 1, 2017, through March 31, 2018. 
 
The IMPACT Act requires patient assessment data elements collected across post-acute care (PAC) settings including home health be standardized. And standardized data that’s gleaned will allow for outcome comparison, exchangeability of data and comparison of quality within and across settings. Plus, according to CMS the data may improve outcomes by creating more coordinated care and improved discharge planning.
 
“Additionally, one of the measure domains for the IMPACT Act is ‘transfer of health information and care preferences when an individual transitions from one setting to another,’ which is currently being developed to support these efforts,” CMS says in the new FAQs. “The transitions refer to transitions into and out of PAC, as well as between PAC and other settings.”
 
In response to one question, CMS explained how agencies and other post-acute providers can get involved in the IMPACT Act by participating in calls, trainings or events.
 
CMS provided the following links:
  • Subscribe to the PAC quality reporting program listserv for important updates, upcoming presentations and training announcements related to the IMPACT Act at https://bit.ly/1jZi7nE.
Note that with the IMPACT Act, CMS also will convene technical expert panels (https://go.cms.gov/2Bud2RT) and seek public comments on items (https://go.cms.gov/2pEObTo).