Uses of the National Rehabilitation Reporting System: perspectives of geriatric rehabilitation clinicians.
BACKGROUND
The National Rehabilitation Reporting System (NRS) is a minimum data set for inpatient rehabilitation units. The system was designed to support administrative decision making from the facility to the national level.


OBJECTIVE
To conduct a pilot study to explore current and potential clinician uses of NRS data, particularly for hip-fractured clients.


METHODS
Focus groups with rehabilitation teams from two urban academic geriatric rehabilitation units in Ontario.


RESULTS
Few current uses were identified; barriers to use included timeliness of data reports and perceived lack of sensitivity to clinically significant changes in functional status. Strategies for resolving these barriers were identified, including customization of data reports.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians will need to work collaboratively with managers, information technology specialists, and software vendors to explore opportunities to maximize potential usefulness of NRS data.
Wells
Jennie L
JL
University of Western Ontario, Division of Geriatric Medicine, St. Joseph's Health Care-Parkwood Hospital, London, ON.
Egan
Mary
M
Byrne
Kerry
K
Jaglal
Susan
S
Dumbrell
Andrea C
AC
Stolee
Paul
P
D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers