M1610 — Urinary Incontinence or Urinary Catheter Presence
Response options, how to score it, and the error that most often sends the record back. Cited to Ch. 3, Item M1610.
Response options
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | No incontinence or catheter (includes anuria or ostomy for urinary drainage) |
| 1 | Patient is incontinent |
| 2 | Patient requires a urinary catheter (specifically: external, indwelling, intermittent, or suprapubic) |
How to score it
This item identifies presence, not cause — etiology is out of scope. Code 1 if the patient is incontinent at any time, even occasionally ('only when I sneeze'), or if dependent on a timed-voiding program (a compensatory strategy, not a cure). Code 2 if the patient uses any type of catheter for urinary drainage for any reason, even if catheterization is only intermittent, or if a catheter is inserted during the comprehensive assessment itself; a patient who is both incontinent and catheterized is coded 2. Code 0 covers anuria or a urinary ostomy/diversion (for example an ileal conduit), with or without a stoma. Dash is not a valid response for this item.
The common error
Coding 1 (incontinent) merely because a urinary drainage appliance leaks — CMS's coding tip is explicit that appliance leakage is not incontinence; Code 0 remains correct. Also common: reporting a catheter used solely for bladder irrigation or antibiotic instillation as catheter presence, which is not reportable under this item.
Source: OASIS-E2 Guidance Manual — Ch. 3, Item M1610. Verified 2026-04-26.
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