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Physician use of and attitudes regarding the minimum data set
G Jogerst1, J Daly, M B Zimmerman
1Department of Family Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.
Objective:
To determine physician use of the Minimum Data Set (MDS), part of the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI).
Design:
A population-based survey.
Setting:
The United States.
Participants:
A total of 2223 physicians listing geriatrics as their primary specialty, 1921 of whom are internists and 302 family physicians.
Measurements:
A 34-item questionnaire asking nine physician-specific demographic questions; nursing home caseload; percent time spent reviewing MDS and care plan; how the information on the MDS was used. Physicians were also asked to describe their attitudes about the MDS.
Results:
Among the 472 physicians who completed the survey and cared for nursing home patients, 357 were internists and 107 were family physicians. Ninety-one percent of the physicians were board certified, 76% had certificate of added qualifications in geriatrics,65% oversaw 20 nursing home patients. Only 11% of physicians reported reviewing the entire MDS, and 21% part of the MDS for all of their patients. Nineteen percent of physicians did not review the care plan for any of their patients. Fifty-six percent of 461 comments made by physicians regarding the MDS were negative or derogatory.
Conclusions:
Many practicing geriatricians are not using MDS to facilitate medical decisions. If this physician population is not using the MDS, there is a need to improve the information transfer from the MDS form to the busy clinician.