• Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS). ACHS clinical indicator users' manual 2008. ULTIMO NSW: Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS); 2007 Dec. 776 p.

Does not apply to this measure

This measure is used to assess the percentage of patients admitted to a geriatric medicine or geriatric rehabilitation unit for whom there is documented assessment of mental function on admission or during admission when more appropriate, during the 6 month time period.

Altered mental state is frequently seen in elderly patients and is often a major factor influencing outcome. Mental function assessment should be made on admission or during the admission when more appropriate, within a geriatric medicine or geriatric rehabilitation unit. Evidence of this must be documented.

Although this indicator currently only applies to patients admitted to a geriatric medicine or geriatric rehabilitation unit, the assessment of cognitive function is an appropriate practice for all older patients, and there will be a move to expand this indicator to general units in the future.

Geriatrics; cognitive function assessment; Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE); Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS)

Total number of patients admitted to a geriatric medicine or geriatric rehabilitation unit, during the 6 month time period

Total number of patients admitted to a geriatric medicine or geriatric rehabilitation unit for whom there is documented assessment of mental function* on admission or during admission when more appropriate, during the 6 month time period

*Documented assessment of cognitive function refers to an objective written assessment of cognitive function in the patient admission record. Assessment of cognitive function must be performed using either the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) or the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS).

• A formal consensus procedure involving experts in relevant clinical, methodological, and organizational sciences

Use of this measure to improve performance
Variation in quality for the performance measured

• Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS). Australian clinical indicator report 1998-2006. Determining the potential to improve quality of care: 8th edition. ULTIMO NSW: Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS); 2007. 564 p.

Current routine use

Internal quality improvement

Hospitals
Long-term Care Facilities
Rehabilitation Centers

Physicians

Single Health Care Delivery Organizations

Unspecified

Either male or female

Unspecified

Unspecified

Unspecified

Unspecified

Unspecified

Unspecified

Getting Better
Living with Illness

Effectiveness

Users of care only

Patients admitted to a geriatric medicine or geriatric rehabilitation unit, during the 6 month time period

Patients associated with provider

Inclusions
Total number of patients admitted to a geriatric medicine or geriatric rehabilitation unit, during the 6 month time period

Exclusions
Unspecified

All cases in the denominator are equally eligible to appear in the numerator

Institutionalization

Time window brackets index event

Inclusions
Total number of patients admitted to a geriatric medicine or geriatric rehabilitation unit for whom there is documented assessment of mental function* on admission or during admission when more appropriate, during the 6 month time period

*Documented assessment of cognitive function refers to an objective written assessment of cognitive function in the patient admission record. Assessment of cognitive function must be performed using either the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) or the Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS).

Exclusions
Unspecified

The measure results are somewhat or substantially under the control of the health care professionals, organizations and/or policymakers to whom the measure applies.

Institutionalization

Administrative data
Medical record

Individual Case

• Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)
• Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS)

Rate

Better quality is associated with a higher score

Unspecified

External comparison at a point in time
External comparison of time trends
Internal time comparison

Unspecified

Indicator area 4: geriatric medicine CI 4.1.

Australian Council on Healthcare Standards

Funding is direct Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) funding sourced through our membership. ACHS does not receive external funding from the government or other sources.

Our terms of reference dictate the composition of the working parties that develop our indicators and include the following:

• Two Clinicians -- nominated by the relevant specialty college/association/society, one nominated to be the chair of the working party
• Private Hospital Representative -- nominated by the Australian Private Hospital Association
• Consumer Representative -- nominated by the Consumer Health Forum of Australia
• Coding Representative -- nominated by the National Centre for Clinical classification on Health
• Quality Health New Zealand, nominated by QHNZ (if applicable)
• Epidemiological/Clinical Research Representative, Director of Health Services Research Group, University of Newcastle
• Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Representatives -- Clinical Director, Coordinator, Administrative Assistant
• Other Expert Stakeholders, as required

None

Measure was not adapted from another source.

1996 Sep

2007 Dec

This is the current release of the measure.

• Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS). ACHS clinical indicator users' manual 2008. ULTIMO NSW: Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS); 2007 Dec. 776 p.

This NQMC summary was completed by ECRI Institute on June 10, 2008.

This NQMC summary is based on the original measure, which is subject to the measure developer's copyright restrictions. This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS).