Two performance measurement systems
Two performance measurement systems
Choosing a measurement system for the new ORYX initiative by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, won’t be easy for subacute care providers. But there are a few tips providers can follow to help them choose the most appropriate service, suggests Deborah Nadzam, PhD, RN, vice president of performance measurement. Nadzam advises providers find answers to the following questions before deciding:
• What are the measures in the system?
"We have not told the systems to date how to develop measures or which measures they must include in their measurement systems," Nadzam says. "Each measurement system that has contracted with us has now sent information about each of the measures within its system, and our research department is reviewing the measures now," she adds. "But right now what is in the measurement systems varies, and that’s one of the issues a health care organization really needs to look at carefully when choosing a system."
• How are the measures calculated?
• How are the measures defined?
• Are they relevant to the patients I care for?
• Do I like the way they’re defined?
Here’s information on two available programs:
• Functional Independence Measure (FIM) of the Uniform Data System, 232 Parker Hall, 3435 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14214. Telephone: (716) 829-2076. Fax: (716) 829-2080. World Wide Web: http://www.udsmr.org. The company has been tracking outcomes since the mid-1980s and now has a national database of 1,200 facilities. Uniform Data also offers a credentialing process to ensure quality and reliability of the data. Everyone who uses the system takes an exam that must be passed as part of the credentialing process. Also, all data that are sent to FIM is evaluated as to whether it’s in tolerable ranges or unexpected. The cost begins at $2,500.
• Quality Improvement Project of the Maryland Hospital Association, 1301 York Road, Suite 800, Lutherville, MD 21093. Telephone: (410) 512-4670. Fax: (410) 828-5718. World Wide Web: http://www.qiproject.org. The project was started in 1985 as a voluntary pilot project with seven Maryland hospitals and has since expanded to more than 1,100 participants nationwide. Its outcome-based clinical indicators include inpatient, ambulatory, psychiatric care, and long-term care. Materials provided to participants include a data collection software, a quarterly-updated graph, quarterly reports, custom reports, an implementation manual, education materials, and a quarterly newsletter. The cost is $1,075 for access fee; the long-term care indicator set is $500; the core indicators cost $1,850; psychiatric indicators cost $500. The fees include everything. Graphing and quarterly reports won’t be available to long-term care coordinators until next year.
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