Nurse management systems in the context of district nursing: the case of rural Australia

This paper presents an overview of a Department of Health and Community Services funded study into the application of the 'Omaha' data management system (Martin & Scheet 1992) to the work of district nurses in urban, rural and remote areas of south west Victoria. The data indicate a direct correlation between the complexity of the clients' demands for care, their dependency on the nursing service and the time taken to complete an episode of care. The Problem Classification and Outcomes Rating Schemes also yielded data which could be integrated into existing management information systems to produce reports on the organization's function, including that required for reimbursing the nursing service.