Revision of the Belgian Nursing Minimum Dataset: From data to information.
The Ministry of Public Health commissioned a research project to the Catholic University of Leuven and the University Hospital of Liège to revise the Belgian Nursing Minimum Dataset (B-NMDS). The study started in 2000 and will end with the implementation of the revised B-NMDS in January 2007. The study entailed four major phases. The first phase involved the development of a conceptual framework based on a literature review and secondary data analysis. The second phase focused on language development and development of a data collection tool. The third phase focused on data collection and validation of the new tool. In the fourth phase the validity and reliability of the dataset was tested. The new dataset is without avail if it is not leading to new information. Four applications of the dataset has been defined from the beginning: evaluation of the appropriateness of stay (AEP) in the hospital, nurse staffing, hospital financing and quality management. The aim of this paper is to describe how the B-NMDS can contribute to each of these applications.
Sermeus
Walter
W
Centre for Health Services Research, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. walter.sermeus@med.kuleuven.be
Van den Heede
Koen
K
Michiels
Dominik
D
Van Herck
Pieter
P
Delesie
Luc
L
Codognotto
Jean
J
Thonon
Olivier
O
Van Boven
Caroline
C
Gillet
Pierre
P
Gillain
Daniel
D
Laport
Nancy
N
Vandenboer
Guy
G
Tambeur
Wim
W
D001530:Belgium; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D004469:Economics, Hospital; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D048108:Nursing Informatics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling