On May 5th and May 6th at the Brookings Institution, LTQA convened a Roundtable, sponsored by the SCAN Foundation, to discuss “Charting a Path Forward for Uniform Assessment of LTSS Needs.” The purpose of the Roundtable was to achieve expert consensus around core domains, concepts and items in assessment instruments, and to develop a concrete plan for moving standardization forward. The Roundtable meeting provided information about state and federal efforts to standardize assessments, including overviews of efforts by CMS to develop the CARE item set, and state experiences with the Balancing Incentives Program (BIP) and Testing Experience and Functional Assessment Tools (TEFT) grant programs. Among the participants were individuals from BIP and TEFT grantee states, as well as individuals from states undertaking their own uniformity initiatives, who were able to offer valuable insight into the process. The day included three work sessions: Prioritization of Domains and Concepts, Development of Standardized Items, and Development of Next Steps. Participants identified core assessment domains, including functional assessment, cognition, caregiving, environmental safety, health status, and substance abuse. The Roundtable closed with a discussion of next steps, which included the development of a comprehensive review of standardization activity that could be a resource to states as they move forward with their efforts. A draft report of the conclusions is forthcoming.
Background papers:
The Need to Standardize Assessment Items for Persons in Need of LTSS by G. Lawrence Atkins, PhD and Barbara Gage, PhD
Standardizing LTSS Assessments for State Initiatives by Barbara Gage, PhD, Elizabeth Blair, and G. Lawrence Atkins PhD
Agenda for the Roundtable:
Charting a Path Forward for Uniform Assessment of LTSS Needs
Presentations from the Roundtable:
State of Assessment Standardization
Standardizing Assessment Items: Meeting Agenda
Developing Standardized Assessment Items
Frameworks for Uniform Assessment in California: Vocabulary for the Assessment Process
The Balancing Incentive Program
Prioritizing Domains and Concepts for Standardized Assessments
Data Element Uniformity and Cross Setting Quality Measures
Supported by a grant from The SCAN Foundation – advancing a coordinated and easily navigated system of high-quality services for older adults that preserve dignity and independence. For more information, visit www.TheScanFoundation.org.