Thank you for your inquiry into CMS 986, the Global Malnutrition Composite Score. The malnutrition diagnosis can be temporally entered into the Electronic Health Record (EHR) at any time by the appropriately licensed professional; if the start time of the diagnosis overlaps with the eligible inpatient encounter. Additionally, the medical diagnosis should be made and documented by an appropriate provider according to federal, state, and local practice guidelines, and regulations. This is most often a physician but may be another provider based on specific facility, circumstances, and applicable governing regulations; this should include facility billing, documentation, privileging policies and procedures, and applicable practice restrictions, and should guide practices to ensure compliance with all appropriate regulatory bodies.