South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
Subchapter 61-78 - Standards for Licensing Hospices
Sec2 61-78.1200 - PATIENT PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT (I)

A. A medical history and physical assessment shall be completed for patients within thirty (30) days prior to or no later than forty-eight (48) hours after admission. The physical assessment shall address the appropriateness of admission, medications required and self-administration status, and identification of special conditions and/or care required, for example, communicable disease, such as tuberculosis, Alzheimer's disease and/or related dementia, pain management, imminent death.

B. The physical assessment shall be performed only by a physician or other authorized healthcare provider.

C. If a patient or potential patient has a communicable disease, the Hospice shall seek advice from a physician or other authorized healthcare provider in order to:

D. A discharge summary from an inpatient health care facility, which includes a physical assessment, may be acceptable as the admission physical assessment, provided the summary includes the requirements of Sections 1200.A and 1200.B above.

E. If a patient transfers from a facility licensed by the Department to a Hospice, an additional admission physical assessment shall not be required, provided the transferring facility conducted a physical assessment on the patient not earlier than twelve (12) months prior to the admission of the patient to the Hospice and the physical assessment meets requirements specified in Sections 1200.A and 1200.B above unless the Hospice receiving the patient has an indication that his or her health status has changed significantly. The receiving Hospice shall acquire a copy of the admission physical assessment and the results of the tuberculosis symptoms screening questionnaire from the facility transferring the patient (See Section 1304 regarding Tuberculosis Screening).