Clinical judgement should be used to determine if the patient is able to respond for each of the Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) OASIS items, CMS clarified in the July 2024 quarterly OASIS Q&As – released July 11. 
 
This was in response to a question asking if a clinician is required to ask the questions for the SDoH items, such as A1005 (Ethnicity), A1010 (Race), A1250 (Transportation), B1300 (Health Literacy) and D0700 (Social Isolation), if a patient is confused and consistently does not respond appropriately to questions. 
 
Each OASIS item should be considered individually and coded based on guidance specific to that item, CMS states in their response. 
 
The July Q&As include three questions covering additional topics such as: 
  • Whether a Kennedy Ulcer would be considered a pressure ulcer for the purpose of coding the pressure ulcer items on the OASIS. 
  • Guidance on how to stage a pressure ulcer on the OASIS when the deepest anatomic soft tissue damage is unknown. 
For a full story, see the upcoming issues of Home Health Line and Diagnosis Coding Pro for Home Health. 
 
Editor’s note: To view the full CMS July 2024 quarterly OASIS Q&As, visit https://tinyurl.com/5b7jxr4v.