Just when we thought we had a handle on QIES (Quality Improvement and Evaluation System), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) transitioned to the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES) in 2023.
Reports and Roles
Reports generated from MDS submissions (along with other reports) are available in the iQIES portal. Becoming familiar with what reports are available, who in the organization is responsible for “pulling” the reports, how often to pull the reports, reviewing the reports, and what to do with the reports continues to present challenges for organizations.
The starting point in iQIES for providers is determining provider roles and responsibilities. Namely: who in the facility will have access to iQIES, what will be their role(s), and what will be their responsibilities inside of iQIES. As an example, the MDS Coordinator needs to have a role for submission of the MDS assessments, reviewing of the MDS validation reports, and possibly “pulling off” other facility reporting such as the Five Star Quality Rating Report, SNF QRP QMs, and Quality Measures. For reference, the iQIES User Role and Matrix Job Aid v4.2 (5/8/2024) describes the roles and corresponding access/abilities inside of iQIES.
The following roles are available to providers:
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- Assessment Submitter
- Provider Assessment Viewer
- Provider Administrator
- Provider Assessment Coordinator
- Provider Security Official
While these are the official iQIES roles, additional roles might apply internally at a facility. For example, among the resources listed at the bottom of the iQIES login portal is a link to Known Issues. Currently, this page lists 153 known issues across post-acute long-term care settings. How many providers have an individual monitoring this page to act on items relevant to their facility?
User Guides and Manuals
iQIES support documentation is still hosted by the (conventionally named) CMS QIES Technical Support Office. Here you will find three available iQIES manuals:
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- CMS iQIES MDS Upload an Assessment v1.0
- CMS iQIES MDS Error Message Reference Guide v1.1 (posted 1/8/24)
- CMS iQIES Reports User Manual v2.6 (posted 5/8/24)
In addition to manuals, there are other helpful tools such as FAQs and training.
What To Do
To stay on top of iQIES reporting:
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- Identify facility team member(s) to become experts in iQIES
- Review all available iQIES internet support material
- Train team member(s) on how to access information
- Set up a system that establishes (a) who will pull reports and how often, (b) who will review the reports, and (c) how often to report and to whom