Long-term care reform in Alberta, Canada: the role of the resident classification system

In 1988 the Alberta government, Canada, introduced a patient (now called resident) classification system (RCS) to measure the care requirements of residents in long-term care facilities and provide case-mix information so that funding could be based on resident need rather than a system of global funding. The RCS is described and issues relating to the measurement of patient/resident need are discussed, together with some suggestions as to how the tool might be used in quality assurance and outcome measurement.