Fraser Health Completes Home Care Phase of New Patient Care Assessment System
March 7, 2007
Seniors living within Fraser Health's boundaries can look forward to more objective and comprehensive assessments to determine which home health services they should receive thanks to a new assessment tool called the interRAI MDS-HC (Minimum Data Set – Home Care). Beyond the initial assessment, the new centralized, electronic system also contains indicators for care planning and outcome measurement that will improve the quality of care that is provided.
As of October, 2006 the Fraser Health Authority has successfully implemented the interRAI MDS-HC assessment tool in 15 community care offices with over 250 clinicians using GoldCare's award winning "Care Anywhere" application. Clinicians complete assessments on a Tablet PC (Personal Computer) device, while in the client's home, and automatically synchronize the care data with the central database when they re-connect to the network.
"With our new system, seniors within Fraser Health can be assured that they will be assessed for the services they receive on an equal and fair basis with other seniors," said Colleen Hart, Director for Geriatric and Residential/Supported Living Services. "It will also cut down on the need for clients to repeat their personal histories over and over again to various care providers."
InterRAI, an abbreviation for International Resident Assessment Instrument, is a worldwide system for delivering quality care in a standardized manner for all. The assessment data is centrally recorded and the process is in use in 27 other countries. Fraser Health has completed the first phase of an ambitious province wide initiative that will support the delivery of quality care by eventually building a single centralized system for electronically tracking the health care of residents in facilities and in their homes across the Fraser Health region. All of the safeguards for personal privacy and confidentiality that apply to other Fraser Health information systems are also in place with this system.
The second phase of the interRAI implementation, for Residential Care, involves 54 facilities across the health authority participating in a centralized implementation, hosted at Fraser Health's central data centre. Each facility is connected to the central database over a local area, a wide area or a secure remote network connection.
The GoldCare integrated suite of applications, was selected in 2004 to support the Home and Residential Care interRAI assessment tools for Fraser Health Authority. This implementation is in response to a mandate from the provincial government to implement the interRAI assessment tools in all Community Care Programs and Residential Care facilities as part of the former Health Service Redesign initiative.
GoldCare supports the eventual development of a single client record for all community services ensuring accuracy and instant availability of minimum assessment information across the continuum of care. Electronic Care Planning and Progress Notes will be implemented in residential care settings to enhance the electronic health record by providing a more complete history of care requirements and services provided.
Grant Roberts, President of Campana Systems Inc , praised the strategic partnership.
"We are very pleased, that GoldCare was selected by Fraser Health to provide the interRAI assessment tools for the Residential Care sector, following the successful implementation of GoldCare interRAI in the Community sector. We look forward to working closely with Fraser Health to meet their current and long-term information needs in the residential and community care sector."
About Fraser Health
One in every three British Columbians is served by Fraser Health, the province's largest health authority. Fraser Health's 22,000 employees and 2,000 physicians serve 1.47 million residents of urban and rural communities, from Burnaby to White Rock to Hope. For more information, visit www.fraserhealth.ca.
About GoldCare
Developed by Campana Systems Inc., GoldCare's suite of Care Management applications, integrates clinical, administrative, financial and reporting requirements. GoldCare offers business, resident and community support management, scheduling, payroll and a fully integrated Health Records that includes MDS with RAI-MH, QI, RUGS, Outcomes and Care Plan Builder. For more information, visit www.takebettercare.com.