Attn: Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals

CMS issues QSO-24-05-Hospital/CAH – Texting Patient Information and Orders

The Division of Quality Assurance is sending this message as part of our commitment to Collaboration, Innovation, and Quality.

On February 8, 2024, CMS issued QSO-24-05-Hospital-CAH providing information regarding texting patient information and orders among members of the health care team.

Memorandum Summary

• Texting patient information and the texting of patient orders among members of the health care team is permissible, if accomplished through a HIPAA compliant secure texting platform (STP) and in compliance with the Conditions of Participation(CoPs).
• Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) continues to be the preferred method of order entry by a provider.

Background:
On January 5, 2018, CMS released QSO-18-10-Hospital, CAHs Revised memorandum, “Texting of Patient Information among Healthcare Providers in Hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs),” which acknowledged that the use of texting had become an essential means of communication among hospital and CAH healthcare team members; however, CMS noted the practice of texting patient orders from a provider to a member of the care team would not be compliant with the CoPs, citing concerns with record retention, privacy, confidentiality, security, and the integrity of existing systems at that time. When CMS developed the 2018 guidance, most hospitals and CAHs did not have the ability to use secure texting platforms to incorporate these messages into the medical record.

Contact:
For questions or concerns relating to this memorandum, please contact QSOG_Hospital@cms.hhs.gov.

Previously issued memos:

• QSO Memos are posted on the S&C website: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/health-safety-standards/quality-safety-oversight-general-information/policy-memos-states-and-cms-locations.
• Admin Info memos are posted on the S&C website: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/health-safety-standards/quality-safety-oversight-general-information/administrative-information-memos-states-and-regions.

Resources to Improve Quality of Care:
Check out CMS’s new Quality in Focus interactive video series. The series of 10–15 minute videos are tailored to provider types and aim to reduce the deficiencies most commonly cited during the CMS survey process, like infection control and accident prevention. Reducing these common deficiencies increases the quality of care for people with Medicare and Medicaid.

Learn to:

• Understand surveyor evaluation criteria
• Recognize deficiencies
• Incorporate solutions into your facility’s standards of care

See the Quality, Safety, & Education Portal Training Catalog and select Quality in Focus.

Please do not reply directly to this email message. If you have a question about this information, email the Division of Quality Assurance.