Use of the Omaha System data to validate Medicare required outcomes in home care

Millions of dollars have been spent developing standardized terminologies for nursing. However, many nurses are unaware of them, because vendors have not incorporated them into electronic health records (EHRs), and quality assurance staff and researchers have not benefited from reuse of the data to examine practice. Government regulations require the use of particular data sets, such as OASIS in home care. Most staff and agencies are focused on government-mandated data without realizing how the nationally recognized terminologies for nursing can benefit an agency. This article seeks to demonstrate the value of using the Omaha System in an EHR for documenting care and conducting Medicare's required Outcome-Based Quality Improvement process in one home care agency.