ENA Emergency Nurses Association - CMS Clarifies Stance on Standing Orders

CMS Clarifies Stance on Standing Orders

On October 24, 2008, CMS issued a memorandum regarding the use of standing orders in hospitals.

This memorandum clarifies an earlier CMS memo from February 8, 2008 that would have required patient-specific practitioner approval for standing orders that meet the CMS� criteria prior to treatment.

Thanks in part to the work of ENA and other organizations; CMS has modified its earlier position on standing orders. The new memorandum states:

�We are clarifying a portion of S&C-08-12 and S&C-08-18, issued on February 8 and April 11, 2008 respectively, regarding use of standing orders in hospitals. The use of standing orders must be documented as an order in the patient�s medical record and signed by the practitioner responsible for the care of the patient, but the timing of such documentation should not be a barrier to effective emergency response, timely and necessary care, or other patient safety advances.�

In this latest memorandum, CMS also states its intention to continue working with the health care community to develop an understanding of best practices and definitions for standing orders. ENA looks forward to working with CMS and other stakeholders on this issue.

For a complete copy of the CMS Memorandum regarding Standing Orders, go to: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/downloads/SCLetter09-10.pdf