Long-Term Care

CMS issues photography guidelines

Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly, November 1, 2006

For states choosing to use photographic evidence to support noncompliance during the survey process, CMS issued guidelines on September 29, 2006 for state agencies to follow. Effective immediately, surveyors who decide to use photography must:

  • request the resident's or surrogate's written permission prior to taking any pictures
  • obtain three series of pictures: an overview, a mid-range view, and a close-up,
  • designate a clinician to take photographs of breasts and genitalia
  • accompany each photo with written, detailed documentation and treat it like a confidential medical record

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