CMS citation trends show infection control in top 10 cited areas

Editor's Note

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality, Certification, and Oversight Reports (QCOR) page, which gives the public access to citation frequency reports, infection control was a top area of focus for CMS surveyors in 2021, the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association journal ASC Focus June issue reports. And the same trend is starting to emerge for 2022.

In 2021, there were 1,307 health surveys, according to ASC Focus. The QCOR page returned infection control as a top area in which ambulatory surgery centers were cited, with three infection control related “tags” appearing in the search of top 10 citations.

These are the tags most frequently listed in 2021, with the number of citations in parentheses:

1. Q0241 Sanitary Environment (238)
2. Q0181 Administration of Drugs (210)
3. Q0242 Infection Control Program (203)
4. Q0162 Medical Records: Form and Content of Record (108)
5. Q0104 Safety from Fire (92)
6. Q0101 Physical Environment (91)
7. Q0240 Infection Control (83)
8. Q0100 Environment (69)
9. Q0141 Organization and Staffing (69)
10. Q0266 Discharge – Order (57)

In comparison, so far in 2022, four infection control related tags have appeared in the top 10 (number of citations in parentheses): Q0241 Sanitary Environment (48), Q0242 Infection Control Program (37), Q0240 Infection Control (10), and Q0243 Infection Control Program—Direction (10). Surveyors have completed 239 health surveys so far in 2022, noted ASC Focus.