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Improve your MDS team for a more accurate, efficient MDS process

MDS 3.0 Update, October 5, 2009

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Teamwork enhances corporate compliance, quality of care, and often reimbursement. The effort to improve the MDS team pays dividends. Some steps for improving the MDS team include:

• Determine the effectiveness of the current team and identify solo operators, as well as what is working and why. Ask line staff members and CNAs whether they feel comfortable volunteering information and if it is well received by the MDS coordinator. How involved in the MDS process do they feel? Do they know what information is useful and important? Do they recognize their importance to the process?
• Involve the entire administrative team and corporate structure to change process and develop a true MDS team approach. If the administrative team is resistant to change and doesn’t realize the benefits of an MDS team, the MDS coordinator may need to work up the chain of command. When approaching upper management with this request, do not allow frustration to enter the conversation and always try to describe financial benefits.
• Use an action plan that delineates steps, milestones, and time frames for meeting goals.
• Teach management skills to MDS coordinators. Teamwork is not an innate skill.
• Cross-train MDS team members to prevent one person from feeling or being indispensable to the viability of the organization.
• Provide opportunities for the team to contribute to the design of their own team process to improve compliance with and acceptance of the endeavor.
• When helpful, use technology to communicate, document, and share insights with team members who work other shifts or days.

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