The use of multidimensional assessment instruments in community-based care

Today almost all states employ multidimensional assessment instruments in determining eligibility and providing care planning for their community-based programs. Nurses, social workers, and other providers either administer the instruments themselves or find their work directly dependent on assessments performed by others. This article provides practitioners with information on the comprehensive nature, strengths, and limitations of such instruments. Major issues are presented by means of a comparative analysis of four state multidimensional instruments.