What’s New in 2024 with the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI)

Karen Stockdale
October 8th, 2024

The final Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument User’s Manual (version 1.19.1) is available as of August 1, 2024. What are the need-to-know changes that can impact your facility?

New Changes to the MDS Resident Assessment Instrument in 2024

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released significant updates to the Minimum Data Set (MDS) 3.0 Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) User’s Manual, effective October 1, 2024. These changes aim to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of resident assessments in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Here are the key updates:

Five Changes to Know:

  1. Two new items have been introduced:

    • N0415K: Anticonvulsant – This item captures information about residents’ use of anticonvulsant medications.
    • O0350: Resident’s COVID-19 Vaccination Status – This item records whether a resident’s COVID-19 vaccination is up to date.

  2. Removal of Discharge Goals Column:


    The Discharge Goals column has been removed from some sections. This change is intended to streamline the assessment process and reduce the burden on healthcare providers. This applies to the following sections:
    • GG0130: Self-Care
    • GG0170: Mobility

  3. Expanded Guidance on Manual Assessment Correction/Deletion Requests:


    The manual now includes more detailed instructions on how to submit and correct assessments. These updates aim to improve the accuracy of resident data and ensure that corrections are handled efficiently. This expanded guidance is found in:
    • Chapter 3, Section X
    • Chapter 5

  4. Minor Alignments and Clarifications

    :
    Various minor adjustments have been made throughout the manual to clarify existing guidelines and ensure consistency. These include updates to examples and explanations in different sections.

  5. Hyperlink Update Supplement

    :
    A new supplement has been added to the manual to ensure that all hyperlinks remain current. This document lists non-functional or outdated links and provides up-to-date replacements.

Implications for Healthcare Providers

These updates are designed to improve the quality of resident assessments and ensure that healthcare providers have the most accurate and up-to-date information. CMS aims to reduce the administrative burden on staff while enhancing the overall care provided to residents by streamlining certain processes and adding new items.

Healthcare providers should familiarize themselves with these changes and update their assessment procedures accordingly. Training sessions and workshops may be beneficial to ensure that all staff members are aware of and understand the new guidelines. Providing up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination information remains a priority, and should be a focus for facilities at several reporting levels.

Conclusion

The 2024 updates to the MDS 3.0 RAI User’s Manual reflect CMS’s ongoing commitment to improving the quality of care in long-term care facilities. By incorporating new items, removing redundant columns, and providing expanded guidance, these changes aim to make the assessment process more efficient and accurate.

For more detailed information, healthcare providers can refer to the full MDS 3.0 RAI User’s Manual available on the CMS website12.