The Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) is the cornerstone of data collection in home health, shaping everything from care planning to reimbursement and quality reporting. As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continues to evolve OASIS to align with value-based care and standardized patient assessments across settings, 2025 brings the implementation of OASIS-E1.
This article breaks down the major changes, implications, and action steps home health agencies should take to remain compliant and competitive—with expert guidance available from HealthBridge, your partner in home health consulting and medical chart audits.
Why OASIS-E1 Matters
OASIS-E1 reflects CMS’s efforts to:
Streamline patient data across care settings as part of the IMPACT Act.
Improve interoperability between providers.
Enhance the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) model.
Reduce administrative burden by eliminating or refining data elements.
These updates go into effect January 1, 2025, and impact Medicare-certified home health agencies across the country.
What’s Changing in OASIS-E1 (2025)
1. Item Removals
Several OASIS items have been eliminated due to redundancy or limited clinical relevance. These include:
2. Refinements to GG Section
The GG functional items (mobility and self-care) have been updated to improve accuracy in assessing baseline function and outcomes.
Agencies must ensure staff are competent in the 6-point scale used to score these areas consistently.
3. Changes to Transfer and Discharge Items
Updates to items related to hospitalization and emergency care ensure better alignment with quality measures and claims data, particularly under HHVBP.
4. Increased Emphasis on Cognitive and Mental Health Items
Cognitive screening questions remain critical in assessing mental status, risk for falls, and care planning.
Timely and accurate documentation of behavioral symptoms supports compliance and risk management.
5. Consistency with the iQIES Transition
The updated OASIS-E1 supports the transition to the Internet Quality Improvement and Evaluation System (iQIES), CMS’s new data submission platform. All agencies must be iQIES-compliant to submit OASIS data in 2025.
Operational Implications for Home Health Agencies
OASIS-E1 is not just a documentation change—it impacts:
Agencies must assess their internal readiness, focusing on:
Staff retraining on updated items and scoring logic.
EMR system compatibility and updates.
QA and auditing workflows to prevent data errors and deficiencies.
How HealthBridge Can Help
At HealthBridge, we specialize in supporting home health providers through:
Staff education and training tailored to OASIS-E1.
Medical chart audits to ensure OASIS accuracy and documentation alignment.
Mock surveys and compliance reviews to prepare for CMS or accrediting body visits.
Value-Based Purchasing strategy support to help maximize performance outcomes.
Whether you're a small agency or a large multi-site operator, our team helps translate regulatory changes into actionable quality improvement steps.
Key Takeaways
OASIS-E1 goes live on January 1, 2025.
Changes reflect CMS’s push toward data standardization, quality care, and HHVBP integration.
Agencies must prioritize staff training, system updates, and documentation audits.
Partnering with a consulting firm like HealthBridge ensures readiness, compliance, and operational efficiency.
Ready for OASIS-E1?
Connect with HealthBridge to schedule a compliance checkup or OASIS-E1 staff training session. Our team is ready to guide your agency through every phase of this transition with clarity, accuracy, and peace of mind.
