Quick Reference · 2026
OASIS-E2 Checklist: A Quick Reference for Clinicians & QA Teams
Use this OASIS-E2 checklist before, during, and after every assessment to catch errors early, maximize PDGM accuracy, and stay survey-ready. Print it, post it in the office, or load it on the phone.
Key Takeaways
- →3-stage workflow: Pre-visit prep, in-visit data collection (across all OASIS-E2 item categories), post-visit submission validation.
- →Separate clinician + QA reviewer checklists, different priorities, different items to verify.
- →M1800-M1860 and M1033 set the PDGM functional level. Section GG feeds quality measures. Both must match the visit narrative.
- →OASIS-E2 has no housing or food items. CMS removed Living Situation, Food, and Utilities in the CY 2026 rule before collection began. Transportation (A1255) is SOC/ROC only.
- →Always reference the CMS OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual as the authoritative source. Customize this checklist for your agency's EMR and workflows.
📋 Reminder: This is a quick-reference framework. Always reference the official CMS OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual for authoritative item-level guidance. Customize this checklist to match your agency's workflows and EMR.
✅ Before the Visit (Pre-Visit Prep)
- Review the referral packet, prior assessments, and recent hospital discharge summary
- Confirm correct OASIS time point (SOC / ROC / Recertification / Transfer / Discharge)
- Confirm OASIS submission deadline based on time point
- Verify EMR is on current OASIS-E2 form version
- Bring required equipment (if any) for in-home functional assessment
- Review patient-specific items: medications, recent test results, primary diagnosis
✅ During the Visit (Data Collection)
Patient History & Demographics
- Verify patient demographics, insurance, and Medicare ID
- Document caregiver presence and support network
- Confirm current medication list with patient/caregiver
Clinical Items (M-items)
- Document primary diagnosis and supporting clinical findings
- Capture all secondary diagnoses (drives PDGM comorbidity adjustment)
- Document homebound status with specific clinical evidence
- Document skilled need with specific service justification
Functional Items (M1800-M1860 and Section GG)
- Score M1800-M1860 by ability, using what is true more than 50% of the time (these set the PDGM functional level with M1033)
- Score each GG item using the 6-point scale (Independent → Dependent)
- Use "activity not attempted" codes correctly when applicable
- Code SOC/ROC, Follow-up, or Discharge performance (OASIS-E2 has no GG discharge goal column)
- Verify GG scoring matches narrative description of patient function
- Confirm functional impairment level (Low / Medium / High) makes clinical sense
Cognitive & Behavioral Items
- Administer BIMS (Brief Interview for Mental Status) per CMS instructions
- Administer PHQ-2/9 depression screening per CMS instructions
- Document behavior frequency and impact items
Standardized Social Items
- Ask A1255 Transportation at SOC and ROC (past 12 months)
- Ask B1300 Health Literacy and D0700 Social Isolation
- Confirm A1110 Language and interpreter need at SOC and ROC
- If the patient declines, use the declines code. Do not code from a proxy or records.
✅ After the Visit (Pre-Submission)
- Cross-check OASIS responses against visit narrative for consistency
- Verify the M1021 primary diagnosis matches the claim principal diagnosis and maps to a PDGM clinical group
- Confirm all standardized social items completed (no skipped items without justification)
- Check that M1800-M1860 and M1033 support the expected functional impairment level
- Check internal item consistency (no logical conflicts)
- Submit within CMS-required timeframe for the time point
✅ QA Reviewer Checklist
- Verify time point is correct and submission is within window
- Confirm the principal diagnosis maps to a PDGM clinical group (no return-to-provider codes)
- Validate M1800-M1860 and Section GG scoring against the narrative
- Check for social item completeness (A1255, B1300, D0700)
- Verify BIMS / PHQ administered properly
- Cross-validate medication list and clinical findings
- Confirm comorbidity adjustment matches secondary diagnoses
- Document any clinician edits and rationale
Want This Checklist on Autopilot?
Most of these checks happen automatically inside OASIS Scribe. OASIS Scribe drafts OASIS responses from the visit conversation, and the clinician confirms every final response. Real-time QA flags inconsistencies and skipped items so your QA team corrects them before submission, and audit logging keeps every assessment survey-ready.
Related OASIS-E2 Resources
OASIS-E2 Checklist, FAQ
What should be on an OASIS-E2 checklist?
An OASIS-E2 checklist should cover the assessment workflow end-to-end: pre-visit preparation, in-visit data collection across all OASIS-E2 item categories (clinical, functional, cognitive, behavioral, and standardized social items such as transportation and health literacy), the M1800-M1860 items behind the PDGM functional level, Section GG, primary diagnosis alignment with the PDGM clinical group, internal consistency checks, and submission timing. The most useful checklists are split by clinician role (assessing clinician vs QA reviewer) and by time point (SOC vs ROC vs Recertification vs Discharge).
How is an OASIS-E2 checklist different from OASIS-E1?
An OASIS-E2 checklist keeps most of the OASIS-E1 workflow and adds checks for the E2 changes: O0350 is gone, A1255 Transportation replaces A1250 at SOC and ROC only, A0810 Sex replaces M0069, Language, Hearing, and Vision are now collected at ROC, and the fall definition changed for J1800, J1900, and M1033. Checklists should be re-validated against the CMS OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual at every release update, and reviewed quarterly even when CMS hasn't issued changes.
Can I use this checklist as my agency's OASIS-E2 SOP?
This checklist is a starting framework, agencies should customize it to reflect their specific patient population, EMR system, and QA workflows. Always reference the CMS OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual as the authoritative source for item-level guidance. Have your clinical and compliance leadership review and approve any checklist used as part of your formal OASIS policies and procedures.
Free download
The printable OASIS-E2 checklist
One page for the clinician, one for the QA reviewer. Print it or keep it on your phone.
- ✓Before, during and after the visit, in visit order
- ✓Section GG, BIMS, PHQ and SDOH checks
- ✓Pre-submission consistency checks
- ✓A separate QA reviewer checklist
Cut OASIS-E2 documentation time by 75%.
See OASIS Scribe