22. Some successes and failures with long-term care data systems: the Rhode Island experience

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Informatics
• Long-Term Care Data Systems

Background:

• Rhode Island Health Services Research (SEARCH) initiated a project to enhance data systems across diverse long-term care settings.
• Settings included skilled nursing facilities, chronic care hospitals, mental health institutions, and home health agencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, adapt, and improve data management and information systems within Rhode Island's long-term care sector.
• To address data quality issues and enhance system utility for various healthcare providers.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a medical review system for Medicaid nursing home patients.
• Developed an abstracting system for chronic care hospitals.
• Corrected data inaccuracies in mental health information for the Multi-State Information System (MSIS).
• Modified the management information system for home health agencies.

Main Results:

• Successfully established a state-funded medical review program for nursing home patients.
• Created an effective abstracting system for two chronic care hospitals.
• Improved the accuracy of mental health data utilized in the MSIS.
• Enhanced the management information system for home health agencies.

Conclusions:

• The project achieved notable successes in nursing home and chronic hospital data systems.
• A more focused approach on high-visibility, public concern areas could have yielded greater population-based data power.
• Future initiatives may benefit from strategic resource allocation for maximum impact.