Achieving "meaningful use" of electronic health records through the integration of the Nursing Management Minimum Data Set.
OBJECTIVE
To update the definitions and measures for the Nursing Management Minimum Data Set (NMMDS).


BACKGROUND
Meaningful use of electronic health records includes reuse of the data for quality improvement. Nursing management data are essential to explain variances in outcomes. The NMMDS is a research-based minimum set of essential standardized management data useful to support nursing management and administrative decisions for quality improvement.


METHODS
The NMMDS data elements, definitions, and measures were updated and normalized to current national standards and mapped to LOINC (Logical Observation Identifier Names and Codes), a federally recognized standardized data set for public dissemination.


RESULTS
The first 3 NMMDS data elements were updated, mapped to LOINC, and publicly disseminated.


CONCLUSIONS
Widespread use of the NMMDS could reduce administrative burden and enhance the meaningful use of healthcare data by ensuring that nursing relevant contextual data are available to improve outcomes and safety measurement for research and quality improvement in and across healthcare organizations.
Westra
Bonnie L
BL
School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapolis,MN 55455, USA. westr006@umn.edu
Subramanian
Amarnath
A
Hart
Colleen M
CM
Matney
Susan A
SA
Wilson
Patricia S
PS
Huff
Stanley M
SM
Huber
Diane L
DL
Delaney
Connie W
CW
D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006801:Humans; D039703:Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009737:Nursing Records; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive; D018511:Systems Integration; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014481:United States