The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed this Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) tool to assess infection prevention practices and guide quality improvement activities (e.g., by addressing identified gaps). While the tool is designed for health departments to assist SNFs in preparing for COVID-19, SNFs may also use the tool to conduct their own internal quality improvement audits and to assist in developing their comprehensive COVID-19 response plan.
In the event that your SNF's actions in responding to COVID-19 are scrutinized, you may be questioned whether your SNF reviewed the ICAR and followed the guidance provided here by the CDC.
We suggest using the ICAR tool to conduct a self-assessment through either your QA/CQI process, or under legal privilege, to analyze your preparedness for COVID-19 and to assess your adherence to potential best practices in anticipation of future litigation.
The material provided on this page is intended to be informational only and is not intended to be nor is it legal advice. EVOLVE Legal Solutions LLC (EVOLVE) disclaims any and all liability related to or arising from the information contained in this publication. This information is provided “as is” without any express or implied warranty. EVOLVE makes no guarantee that this material will meet your requirements or be of use to you for any specific purpose or application. To the extent this material references any laws or guidance, those references are federal only, and users should consult with their legal counsel regarding any additional and/or conflicting state laws.
To prepare for survey scrutiny and lawsuits, SNFs should complete both of the recently published CMS & CDC self-assessments...
Self-assess your SNF’s survey readiness on infection control and prepare for potential litigation using this CMS tool...
