The Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS): A Review of Validity and Reliability

• Published in: Home health care services quarterly Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 267 - 301
• Main Authors: O'Connor, Melissa, Davitt, Joan K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis Group 01-12-2012; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: English language; Evaluation; Health administration; Health insurance; Health services; home care; Home Care Services; Home Health Care; Humans; Literature Reviews; Medicare; OASIS (Outcome and Assessment Information Set); Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care) - standards; Patients; Prospective payment systems; Quality of care; Quality of Health Care; reliability; Reproducibility of Results; United States; Validity; Values
• ISSN: 0162-1424; 1545-0856
• DOI: 10.1080/01621424.2012.703908

The Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) is the patient-specific, standardized assessment used in Medicare home health care to plan care, determine reimbursement, and measure quality. Since its inception in 1999, there has been debate over the reliability and validity of the OASIS as a research tool and outcome measure. A systematic literature review of English-language articles identified 12 studies published in the last 10 years examining the validity and reliability of the OASIS. Empirical findings indicate the validity and reliability of the OASIS range from low to moderate but vary depending on the item studied. Limitations in the existing research include: nonrepresentative samples; inconsistencies in methods used, items tested, measurement, and statistical procedures; and the changes to the OASIS itself over time. The inconsistencies suggest that these results are tentative at best; additional research is needed to confirm the value of the OASIS for measuring patient outcomes, research, and quality improvement.