Before we can discuss how LTCQ, Inc. can help our clients with compliance, it is important to define what we mean by compliance.

Regulatory Compliance

Compliance to Federal and State requirements is critical to the highly regulated long term care profession.

One of the key areas requiring compliance is the Minimum Data Set (MDS). The MDS is the foundation for Medicare RUGs reimbursement as well as Medicaid in case mix states. MDS assessments also generate the facility’s Quality Indicators/Quality Measures and are a key focus during the survey process.

To say that MDS assessments need to be accurate and timely is an understatement.

LTCQ did a study of over 5 million MDS assessments submitted to the State and found that 75% of them had at least one data integrity issue.

A data integrity issue is defined as a clinical or logical discrepancy. An obvious example is the comatose patient who is coded as wandering. Errors are common because of the interrelationship of many of the sections and the fact that multiple people are involved in completing them.

LTCQ developed a patented tool that acts like a “super spellchecker” for the MDS. Our Q-Metrics® Data Integrity Audit™ checks every section of every MDS assessment prior to State submission and returns instant on-line feedback. It dramatically reduces the number of issues and prompts front line staff for any documentation requirements to exceptions (example).

Internal Compliance

One of the greatest challenges for multi-site long term care organizations is assuring that facilities and front line staff are following internal policy/procedures and current standards of care.

LTCQ has worked closely with these organizations for over a decade to help them close the gap between facility performances. The Q-Metrics® Performance Portfolio™ has easy to use reports that quickly focus attention where it is needed most and helps managers track facility performance (example). Managers can quickly see trends with our 24-month tracking of facility performance to verify if the policies and procedures are effective (example).

Our Data Integrity Audit’s real-time feedback can include corporate specific policies and procedures that are pushed out to the staff when applicable. An example of this is reminding staff about the new nutritional intervention policy every time they assess a resident at risk for a pressure ulcer.

Program Compliance

Compliance also includes the adherence to services, programs and projects.

Too often money is wasted on various “flavor of the month” programs. Precious time and resources are wasted investigating the service, deploying it to the field and then having individual facilities or staff members not follow the program, thus guaranteeing its failure.

With LTCQ, each client is assigned an account manager who helps ensure that the program is used. We also provide reports that quickly show who is using the system to facilitate compliance. More importantly, our services are designed to help people do their jobs. We get lots of feedback from nurses, MDS Coordinators, Directors of Nursing, Administrators, Regional Managers and Corporate Executives who love to use our services.

Here at The Q we also love to get suggestions on ways we can make our services better. Our goal is to make all of our users look like superstars in their jobs

Benefits of Compliance

When a facility or organization can achieve a standard level of high performance, it greatly reduces their risk for bad outcomes, survey deficiencies and litigation.

Facilities and organizations achieving these high performance levels are seeing tremendous benefits in occupancy, reimbursement, staff turnover, and claims. Insurance companies are rewarding these facilities and organizations with lower liability premiums. The challenge is to prove to insurance companies that you are a good risk.

Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing facilities across the country have benefited with dramatically lower premiums after implementing our Q-Metrics® RiskRx™ program. RiskRx is a proven program that assesses each facilities risk and then offers a customized prescription for managing the risk. A wide variety of components are available including onsite visits, event driven customer satisfaction surveys, staffing to acuity analysis, targeted education and data integrity audits.

Contact LTCQ today and find out more about how we can help your organization.

Read about some Success Stories from our clients.