What is HOPE (Hospice Outcomes & Patient Evaluation)?

With the HOPE (Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation) tool going into effect on October 1, 2025, hospice agencies must adapt their Interdisciplinary Group (IDG) meetings to meet new data collection and quality reporting standards. This webinar will guide hospice professionals through practical strategies for integrating HOPE into IDG workflows, ensuring compliance while enhancing patient-centered care. Attendees will learn how to align meeting timing, interpret HOPE data effectively, and use insights to drive clinical decisions and quality improvement.

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Managing pain and preventing unnecessary suffering are at the heart of hospice care—and the HOPE assessment sharpens our ability to do both. This webinar will focus on Section N of the HOPE assessment, which captures key data on scheduled and PRN opioid use, as well as bowel regimens to prevent opioid-induced constipation. We’ll explore how this data, along with symptom impact and pain screening items, drives effective care planning and supports holistic, patient-centered care.

In addition, we’ll connect HOPE guidance with the Hospice Conditions of Participation (CoPs) related to medication management and symptom control, reinforcing how regulatory compliance can enhance quality of life. Join us as we translate assessment data into meaningful, compassionate care delivery.

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Join us for an engaging webinar where hospice leaders from Hope Health, Hospice of Michigan and Chapters share their strategies and preparations for HOPE. Hear firsthand how they are gearing up to implement best practices, educate their staff and ensure successful outcomes. This session will provide valuable insights, practical tips, and an opportunity for interactive discussions. Whether you're directly involved in planning or looking to stay informed, this webinar will equip you with the knowledge and perspectives you need.

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Prepare your hospice team for the upcoming changes effective October 1. This expert-led session will look into the transition from QIES to iQIES, the introduction of new visit types like Symptom Follow-up Visits (SFVs) and Hospice Update Visits (HUVs), and the increased assessment frequencies. Gain insights into strategies for timely HOPE submissions, staff preparation, and maintaining compliance to avoid potential revenue penalties.

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Join McBee experts Dee Geray and Michelle Horner for a powerful session on holistic hospice care and the new HOPE assessment. As agencies prepare for this transition, it’s time to get back to the foundation of great care—thorough assessments, meaningful conversations and a deep understanding of each patient’s experience. This webinar will explore how the HOPE tool can help clinicians uncover the real issues behind pain and non-pain symptoms, leading to care plans that are both clinically effective and deeply compassionate. Learn how you can leverage HOPE to advance holistic care in your hospice practice.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the purpose and structure of the HOPE assessment and how it supports holistic hospice care.
• Demonstrate effective assessment and interview techniques to gather meaningful information from patients and caregivers.
• Identify key HOPE items that support individualized care planning for pain and non-pain symptom management.
• Apply strategies to incorporate HOPE data into care plans that reflect whole-person care and patient-centered priorities.

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Welcome to your hospice era! With the implementation of the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool, and the more comprehensive coding item, accurate coding has become more crucial than ever for compliance, quality reporting and future payment changes. Join McBee expert Lisa Selman-Holman as she guides you through the transformative impact of HOPE on hospice coding. Discover best practices for ICD-10 coding accuracy and learn how to avoid common documentation pitfalls.

In this enlightening session, you’ll gain valuable insights on aligning your coding processes with HOPE requirements and CMS initiatives to ensure compliance and optimize patient care. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your agency’s success in the evolving hospice landscape. Embrace the change and thrive in your hospice era!

The hospice landscape continues to evolve, bringing new challenges and opportunities for providers. From regulatory changes to clinical best practices, staying informed is essential for success. Join McBee experts as we break down the most pressing topics in hospice, including:

• The importance of accurate coding and best practices for HOPE success
• Symptom follow-up visits and compliance considerations
• Special Focus Program (SFP) suspension and its impact
• Survey readiness: Preparing for success
• ADRs and appeals: Strategies for successful responses
• The Hospice Care Act and its implications for providers

Gain valuable insights, practical strategies and expert guidance to ensure your hospice organization remains compliant, financially stable and prepared for the road ahead. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead of industry changes and optimize your hospice operations.

The new HOPE (Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation) Assessment, coming Oct 1, 2025, will create a surge of change in hospice compliance. With overwhelming waves of new requirements, agencies face challenges in staff education, proper scoring, and timely submission via iQIES.

This free webinar will guide you through the rough waters with practical strategies and real-world examples to support clinical accuracy and efficient workflows. You'll leave with critical insights and tools for navigating the new HOPE Assessment.

It’s time to prepare yourself and your team to weather the storm of this transformative change. Don’t let your agency be swept away — join us and anchor your success for 2025!

Topics in this webinar:

1. Clinical Accuracy: Understand elements of the HOPE Assessment, including correct scoring, documentation and impact on quality.
2. Practical Scenarios: Real-world examples to illustrate accurate completion of key HOPE sections and avoid common pitfalls.
3. Team Training: Gain effective strategies for training staff on HOPE requirements, scoring methodology and documentation best practices.
4. Submission Workflows: Learn how to align your process with iQIES submission requirements and ensure timely, accurate reporting.
5. HOPE Compliance: Identify tools and methods to support accurate documentation and regulatory compliance.

Join us for From HIS to HOPE: Preparing Your Hospice Team for Success, an essential session aimed at equipping hospice professionals with the knowledge and tools needed for the upcoming transition from the Hospice Item Set (HIS) to the new Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) assessment tool, effective October 2025. In this webinar, attendees will gain a clear understanding of the key components and structure of the HOPE tool, highlighting the differences from the current HIS system. Learn about the specific requirements for timely completion and submission of HOPE assessments, including critical timelines and compliance standards. We will also discuss proactive strategies to help your clinical team make a smooth transition to this new tool, ensuring continued high-quality patient care and adherence to regulatory standards. Don’t miss this opportunity to prepare your team for success and enhance your hospice practice.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the key components and structure of the HOPE assessment tool and how it differs from the existing HIS system
• Learn the specific requirements for completing and submitting HOPE assessments, including timelines and compliance standards
• Discuss proactive strategies to prepare your clinical team for a smooth transition to the HOPE tool, ensuring high-quality patient care and compliance

Netsmart is focused on updating the following workflows as part of supporting the HOPE process. As the specification was recently released, we are still working through detailed specifications to communicate timelines for implementation in our client’s environment. We anticipate having those completed and published by the end of Q1 2025. 

• Assessment content 
• Assessment scheduling and compliance tracking 
• Assessment reporting 
• Correction workflow 
• Validation 
• Submission workflow 

Netsmart will be engaging with clients beginning in January 2025 through focus groups that will provide valuable insights and feedback on the HOPE Tool feature set. Regularly scheduled meetings will help ensure collaboration and alignment amongst the client base. Clients interested in participating should visit NetsmartCONNECT Events where we will post user groups and recordings from completed meetings.

Netsmart does offer a user group network and forums which meet on a regular cadence. The groups are open to Netsmart clients and broad participation is encouraged for community engagement.

Yes, engaging the user group for testing before a full rollout will help identify any issues and gather valuable feedback. This collaborative process will enhance the quality of the modifications.

Netsmart will provide incremental development and delivery of the HOPE features throughout 2025. This approach allows clients to provide ongoing feedback and adopt new features. This development and delivery are dependent upon the release of the final technical specifications from CMS.

Netsmart EHRs will support separate documents for HOPE admission and HOPE update visit (HUV). Supporting separate documents for HOPE admissions and HOPE update visits will enhance compliance tracking and make the process more streamlined for users.

When an SFV is triggered based on symptom impact scoring, the clinician will be prompted to enter a frequency for the SFV that will be attached to a nursing visit with skill requirements of RN or LPN/LVN. Netsmart EHRs support visit and skill requirements for the SFV to ensure that that care is tailored to the patient's needs. This structure will improve both the quality of care and compliance.

Yes, Netsmart EHRs will provide scheduling, tracking, and monitoring of compliance with HUV and SFV timepoints. Having scheduling, tracking, and monitoring in place will greatly enhance compliance management for both HUV and SFV timepoints so that clinicians can easily keep track of necessary visits and follow-ups.

Netsmart has a dedicated regulatory team to monitor changes in the regulatory landscape. In addition, Netsmart is affiliated with multiple industry associations and forums to monitor regulatory changes within the industry.

Clients have a designated Netsmart contact through their client alignment executive in addition to the support call center. This dual support system can enhance communication and problem resolution.

Netsmart technical support hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday, exclusive to Federal holidays. After-hours support is provided for critical and high priority issues at no additional charge. Support is available through telephone access or the online support portal.