OASIS Conventions Series, Part 2: Defining Assistance in OASIS—What Counts and What Doesn’t

by Lori A. Marmon, PT, MBA, COS-C

As we continue our discussions on the OASIS Conventions—the general rules that guide accurate OASIS data collection—we now turn to the concept of “assistance” as it applies to OASIS items. (If you missed it, here’s the previous information on Assessment Strategies.)

In the context of OASIS, assistance refers specifically to help provided by another person. This help may include:

Physical contact or support
Supervision
Verbal cues

—all intended to ensure a patient can complete an activity safely.

Importantly, assistance does not refer to assistive devices. These devices are tools that can increase a patient’s independence by allowing them to perform tasks they might otherwise be unable to do—or do safely—on their own.

CMS does not supply a definitive list of assistive devices for OASIS scoring. Instead, clinicians are encouraged to use their clinical judgment along with examples from OASIS items and related CMS Q&As to determine what qualifies as an assistive device (see CMS OASIS Q&As: Category 4b, Q141.3 and Q151.1).

While the list of devices may be open-ended, the definition of assistance is not: it always means human assistance. Understanding this distinction is key to accurately coding the type of support a patient needs when completing OASIS items.

To explore more about the convention associated with assistance—and other general or ADL/iADL-specific rules—refer to Chapter 1 of the OASIS-E1 Guidance Manual. Or, better yet, join us at a Blueprint for OASIS Accuracy workshop and immerse yourself in the practical application of these conventions with expert-led guidance and peer collaboration.

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