<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".13" citation="COMAR 10.07.10.13" title_num="10" subtitle_num="07" chapter_num="10" heading="Program Review and Evaluation.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>The home health agency shall establish policies and procedures for self-evaluation of its programs. These should include, at a minimum:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Evaluations of staffing patterns to assure adequacy and appropriateness of service delivered;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>An annual review of programs to determine:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Trends in service needs and activities;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Problems and unmet needs of patients;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Anticipated changes in delivery of service;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Linkages with related community services.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>The home health agency shall review its written policies at least annually, and revise them as necessary. The results of this review shall be presented, in writing, to the professional advisory group and to the governing body.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Utilization Review.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The home health agency shall establish a program of utilization review which, at a minimum, includes a utilization review committee to review clinical records at least quarterly. The committee members shall represent the scope of services offered by the agency. The clinical record review shall consist of a minimal sampling of 10 percent of unduplicated caseload records per annum or 40 records, whichever is less. All services offered shall be included in the sample.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Sixty Day Continuous Care Review. Each active record shall be reviewed at least every 60 days to determine the adequacy of the plan of treatment and appropriateness of continued service, including renewal of physician orders.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>The home health agency shall maintain a documented statistical reporting system for each county and the City of Baltimore, if served, which includes, at a minimum:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Number of patients by age, sex, and race receiving each service;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Number of patient visits conducted by each discipline;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Diagnostic categories;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Source of referrals;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Reason for discharge; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Sources of reimbursement for all services.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>The home health agency shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Prepare a report annually of its documented statistics within 90 days after the close of its fiscal year; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Beginning with the next fiscal year after adoption of this regulation, submit the report to the Department in the form and manner prescribed by the Secretary with each application for license renewal.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>