Health Information for Nursing Homes

A new tool kit is now available to help nursing homes better access and utilize health information about their clinical practices.

The tool kit was developed by Stratis Health, an expert in the use of health information technology, to track patient data and identify areas for quality improvement. Funding for the tool kit was provided by Aging Services of Minnesota, Alliance Purchasing and MHHA Service Corporation.

Stratis created the tool kit in response to a 2007 mandate from the Minnesota Legislature that requires all Minnesota health care providers to have electronic health record (EHR) systems in place by 2015.

Some facilities may use the tool kit to help them implement a more robust health information system, while others will use it to acquire individual applications or overhaul existing systems.
Bottom line, each nursing home can select and use the tools most relevant to its operational goals, technology needs and implementation timeframes.

The tool kit supplies tools in the following categories:
• Adopt: Section 1 provides tools for the assessment, planning and selection stages.
• Utilize: Section 2 provides tools to support implementation and effectiveness.
• Exchange: Section 3 provides tools to help evaluate readiness and understand interoperability.

http://www.stratishealth.org/expertise/healthit/nursinghomes/nhtoolkit.html

Excerpted from Old News, the newsletter of the Minnesota Center on Aging