*TS: – CMS: Understanding the CMS Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement Program for Nursing Care Centers[®] [REF: CMS, PI, RNx, StEd] The Source, February 2014, Vol 12, #2, Pg 13  JCs1402_CMSqapi

This is a 6-page overview of the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program that has been mandated for Nursing Care Centers by “The Affordable Care Act.  

• QAPI will not replace but rather “build upon” Quality Assessment and Assurance (QAA) regulations (requirement F-520). [Pearl] The difference between the two is the difference between QA and PI and this is nicely explained in Table 1 on page 14.  

• The bulk of this article is devoted to describing/explaining the 5 elements of an effective QAPI program: Element 1: Design and Scope, Element 2: Governance and Leadership, Element 3: Feedback, Data Systems and Monitoring, Element 4: Performance Improvement Projects, Element 5: Systematic Analysis and Systemic Action.

• The article concludes with a section on Tools and Resources  which includes QAPI At a Glance and CMS QAPI Guide: What You Need to Know: A Companion to QAPI at a Glance and Goal Setting Worksheets

Tip: • The application of PI in hospitals (moving to DMAIC)  is more mature than in nursing homes (encouraged to move to PDSA), but the principles explained in QAPI provide a useful review of some fundamentals. StEd may want to take advantage of training material available on the QAPI website