The Minimum Data Set (MDS) is part of the U.S. federally mandated process for clinical assessment of all residents in Medicare or Medicaid certified nursing homes and non-critical access hospitals with Medicare swing bed agreements.
)[1] This process provides a comprehensive assessment of each resident's functional capabilities and helps nursing home and SNF staff identify health problems.
Resource Utilization Groups (RUG) are part of this process, and provide the foundation upon which a resident's individual care plan is formulated.
MDS assessments are required for residents on admission to the nursing facility and then periodically, within specific guidelines and time frames.
Specific coding regulations in completing the MDS can be found in the Resident Assessment Instrument User's Guide.