Welcome to the EQUIP 3.0 News and Updates page! Here you will find the latest information on EQUIP 3.0 including what you need to get started, training dates and registration instructions as well as the latest news on added features and functionality.

Update: February 14, 2012

A few weeks ago we released the CMS Quality Monitor Pod (beta) to all EQUIP users.

We are pleased to announce that the two incidence measures - Percent of short stay residents on a scheduled pain medication regime who self-report a decrease in pain intensity or frequency AND Percent of long-stay residents whose need for help with activities of daily living has increased - have been added to the CMS Quality Monitor pod and are now available.

In addition, the 4th quarter 2011 benchmarks have been posted.

To access the CMS Quality Monitor report, simply go to the Pod Toolbox and select the “CMS Quality Monitor (Beta)”. Detailed instructions on how to use the CMS Quality Monitor Pod, the CMS QM definitions and a glossary of terms related to the QMs are also available in the HELP section of the EQUIP website.

See training section below to register for upcoming training webinars.

What's Next?

The EQUIP developers will continue to monitor changes to the MDS 3.0 technical QM user specifications in order to finalize the CMS Quality Monitor. Click here to see the draft QM user’s manual.

Important! All Recorded Training Webinars and EQUIP Training Resources can be accessed from the HELP application on the EQUIP website. Simply login as usual, click the HELP link at the top of the web page and click on “Introduction to EQUIP 3.0”. The training webinars and resources are located there.

Sign up now for more training!

We continue to offer free webinars to help you get acquainted with all that EQUIP has to offer.  These webinars will review everything from the basic features of the program to customizing your own reports, and everything in between.  Register now by clicking on the dates below:

During the first quarter of 2012, we are going to focus on using EQUIP as a tool to understand the new CMS Quality Measures in anticipation of their release in April. The following series of three webinars will demonstrate how to analyze some of the short-stay and long-stay measures. Each of the webinars in this series will include a review of the CMS QM rates report, a drill-down to the resident level and a demonstration of how to apply and create recipes that are pertinent to the measures that are being discussed. Register now by clicking on the dates below:

Using EQUIP to Understand the CMS Quality Measures:

• The Long-Stay Quality Measure for Catheters and the Short-Stay Quality Measure for Pressure Ulcers; Tuesday, February 14th from 2:00 – 2:45 pm EST and Thursday, February 16th from 11:00 – 11:45 EST
• The Long-Stay QM for Falls and the Short-Stay QM for Pain; Tuesday, February 28th from 11:00- 11:45 am EST and Thursday, March 1 from 2:00-2:45 pm EST
• The Long-Stay QMs for High-risk Pressure Ulcers and Depression; Tuesday, March 27th from 11:00-11:45 am EST and Thursday, March 29th from 2:00-2:45 pm EST

EQUIP 3.0 Troubleshooting Tips

Here are a few helpful tips in the event you should experience any of these technical issues:

1.  Difficulty viewing an entire report on your computer screen -

• Go to the bottom right side of your screen where you should see a magnifying glass icon. Click the arrow next to the icon to “zoom out” to 75%.

• Press the F-11 key on your keyboard for a full screen. Press the F-11 key again to return to the normal screen size.

2.  No data appears when you run a report-

• Make sure you have clicked “Submit” after uploading MDS files. Go to the MDS Uploader in the Upload workspace. Check the batches grid status column to make sure all of your files have been submitted.Check your report settings. 

• Make sure you have entered the correct dates and selected the correct assessment selection method.

3.  You have added a user but their name does not appear in the user listing –

• After you click “add user” and submit the user’s e-mail address, an e-mail will be sent asking them to complete a form and set up their user name and password. If the person does not get the e-mail, it may have gone to their spam mailbox and will need to be retrieved.

MDS 3.0 FAQ document

Based on numerous questions LeadingAge NY/EQUIP staff have received since October 1st, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document has been created. Click here to access this helpful resource. We will continue to update the FAQs so please email us at mds3@nyahsa.org with your MDS 3.0 questions, concerns, and comments.

MDS 3.0 Resources:

Listed here are several MDS 3.0 resources you may find helpful:

ADL Decisions Algorithm

Balance During Transitions and Walking Algorithm

CMS' Community Living Initiatives webpage - a resource for Section Q in the MDS 3.0

CMS Fiscal Intermediary (reimbursement and eligibility questions)

CMS Technical information page, which includes jRaven

MDS 3.0 Data Specifications

MDS 3.0 Manual - Chapters and Appendices

MDS 3.0 Technical Support

SNF PPS information, and education by CMS

State Point of Contact Lists for Section Q Referrals

Open Door Forums (CMS calls for providers)

Getting Started with EQUIP 3.0:
Instructions ·
Silverlight software ·
Submission format requirements