A data management tool for reporting productivity

Hospital-based occupational therapy departments in the 1980's must be able to report productivity levels in terms of cost-effectiveness. Only the most efficient programmes are likely to succeed in this era of budgetary constraints. A data retrieval model. operating in a hospital-based occupational therapy department is described. The model reports departmental productivity and data for making cost estimates related to direct and indirect patient care by diagnostic category. In addition, the system shows individual therapists' input and output. This data system has made possible monthly management statements that provide an overview of productivity and indicate the complexity of occupational therapy services for specific diagnostic categories within an acute-care paediatric hospital.