Inaccurate Admission MDS Skin Assessment Due to Unresolved Documentation Discrepancy
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to ensure the accuracy of an admission Minimum Data Set (MDS) skin condition assessment for one resident. Upon review, the resident was admitted with diagnoses including surgical aftercare, colostomy status, pulmonary embolism, and malignant neoplasm of the colon. Hospital discharge documentation indicated the presence of a right buttock wound and a left buttock deep tissue injury. However, the facility's admission wound assessment, completed by the Director of Nursing (DON), documented only a surgical incision to the abdomen and a stage two pressure ulcer of the left axilla, with no mention of wounds to the buttocks. The admission MDS assessment, completed by an MDS Registered Nurse who had not personally assessed the resident, recorded a stage two pressure ulcer and a deep tissue injury based solely on hospital documentation. During interviews, the MDS nurse admitted uncertainty about how to proceed when hospital records and clinical assessments did not align, as she was still in training. Subsequent observation and interviews confirmed the absence of pressure ulcers or deep tissue injuries on the buttocks at admission. The facility's policy required interdisciplinary participation in resident assessments, but the discrepancy between hospital and facility findings was not resolved prior to completing the MDS assessment.