Have you been wondering what F-Tags are being cited under the Requirements of Participation?  Recent upgrades to SMART, our Survey Management and Analysis Resource Tool, will help us track the new tags, but we need the data from your 2567s to find out how the tags are assigned based on how surveyors respond to questions in the new Long Term Care Survey Process (LTCSP).  Under the LTCSP, deficiencies and scope and severity are determined based on the reasons provided by the surveyors.

What is SMART and How You Can Use It

SMART takes a deep-dive into the specifics of what a citation was really about. This image shows the cited F-Tags.  Beyond the publicly reported information, SMART provides the severity and detailed descriptions for why the F-Tag was cited. 

Click to enlarge image.

When SMART is populated with data about the new F-Tags, you will be able to hover over this data to see if there’s additional information about each citation. The data in SMART can be further analyzed to learn the top five reasons and up to three additional sub-descriptions for a citation of a specific tag.   

Click to enlarge image.

Click to enlarge image.

From this example, we see F-Tag 758 – Free from Unnec Psychotropic Meds/PRN Use.  Because the F-Tag title is so broad, only by using SMART would you learn the specific medication classifications without having to read the relevant 2567. SMART will also tell you that it was cited at an E-Level severity.

How You Can Help

We don’t know which F-Tag surveyors will use, or if multiple tags will be assigned, so we need your data to help us learn what surveyors are doing.

If you have not submitted your most recent 2567 report and OLC cover letter to SMART, please forward these items to Mary Chiles at mary@chileshealthcare.com or mail hard copies to Chiles Healthcare Consulting LLC, 1908 Maple Shade Lane, Richmond, VA 23227.

About SMART

It’s easy to get SMART! Simply click request user login and complete the online request to have your SMART account access established. For VHCA members who have submitted survey information, online access will be set-up and instructions will be sent back to the individual who made the request within two working days.

Already received your login and password? You’re ready to go!