title: Using the Resident Assessment Instrument-Mental Health (RAI-MH) to determine levels of care for individuals with serious mental illness.
abstract: This paper outlines the development of an algorithm to determine appropriate levels of care (LOC) for individuals with a serious mental illness (SMI). The algorithm, drew on several domains of the Resident Assessment Instrument-Mental Health (RAI-MH) to support a statistical model that would explain a maximum of variance with the gold standard, a consensus-based global rating of required LOC. The RAI-MH model explained 67.5% of the variance. The validity of the model was further examined by determining how the discrepancy between the current and predicted levels of care related to psychiatric outcomes. The results demonstrated that undersupported clients experienced significant negative psychiatric outcomes compared to clients receiving adequate care. Although the model based on the RAI-MH is not perfect, the results warrant further research to determine its usefulness in predicting required LOC.
authors.affiliation: Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital, St. Joseph's Care Group, 580 North Algoma Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. gibbonsc@tbh.net
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: Sacha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bédard
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards