OSCAR: Definition and Healthcare Context
Full name: Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting System
The Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting System (OSCAR) was the CMS database through which state survey agencies recorded inspection and certification data for Medicare- and Medicaid-participating health care facilities, including nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies, and intermediate care facilities. State surveyors submitted deficiency citations, waivers, complaints, and remedy actions into OSCAR following on-site visits. CMS used OSCAR data to populate early versions of Nursing Home Compare. The system was succeeded by CASPER (Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports), which consolidates the OSCAR-originated survey records and serves as the underlying data source for the Health Inspections domain published on Care Compare.
How it’s used
- CMS Care Compare (nursing homes): health inspection data on Care Compare — deficiency citations, scope-and-severity scores, and fine histories — originates from the state survey process originally recorded in OSCAR and now maintained in CASPER.
- CMS Provider of Services (POS) File: certification status data in the POS file is derived from the OSCAR/CASPER survey and certification records that state agencies maintain after standard and complaint surveys.
- Fonteum NH Deficiency & Harm Rate study: the 418,148 deficiency citations and 14,635 facilities analyzed in Fonteum's nursing home deficiency research trace back to the OSCAR/CASPER survey database populated by state surveyors.
Frequently asked questions
- What was the OSCAR system?
- OSCAR (Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting System) was the CMS database where state survey agencies recorded nursing home and facility inspection results, deficiency citations, and certification status.
- Is OSCAR still in use?
- OSCAR was replaced by CASPER (Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reports), which now serves the same function and feeds Health Inspections data into CMS Care Compare.
- What replaced OSCAR?
- CASPER replaced OSCAR as the primary CMS survey and certification data system. Historical OSCAR data was migrated into CASPER, and all current survey submissions go into CASPER.