Project Results

Public Policy Goal:

To develop a data scannable form to reliably data at the clinical level to assess provider compliance with ACOEM guidelines which would allow evaluation of the association between provider practices and patient outcomes.

Project Objective:

To develop a non-proprietary, data scannable clinical assessment tool to collect prospective information in multiple clinics in multiple states, to compare the reliability of information collected prospectively using the form and that collected using the form through chart reviews, and to identify the research advantages and disadvantages of using a physician-completed prospective tool.

Project Description:

This multi-state, multi-clinic study by researchers from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center explored clinicians' use of the workers' compensation medical treatment guidelines developed by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). Techniques for collecting prospective information about patient outcomes and the process of care through the use of a new data-scannable clinical assessment tool were tested along with the reliably of collecting insurance data across different states.

Key Findings or Accomplishments:

• A Clinical Assessment Tool was developed using Telform software which could function as both the clinician's medical record as well as provide relevant data for measuring and adhering to treatment guidelines;
• The information on the Assessment Tool allows for the measurement of compliance of medical care with many aspects of the ACOEM guidelines. The complex variable measurements that were created should be useful in quality improvement studies and in health services research;
• Physicians were hesitant to use the Tool as the clinics participating did not use it to replace the medical record and it was, therefore, a duplicate and demanded more time to complete. The d physicians seemed uncomfortable with the length of the form, even though they were required to complete very few elements on the form (Future efforts at implementing the Assessment Tool should provide some kind of physician incentive);

Tools Developed:

• Instructions for Completion of the Data Scannable Forms
• Scannable Data Collection Tool [future link]

Reports and Publications:

Final Grant Report, September 26, 2001

Presentations:

State of the Art Conference - October 2001 Seattle - Presentation of results at the session on Occupational Practice Guidelines [future link]

American Occupational Health Conference - April 2002 - Chicago - Presentation of results at the session on Disability Management [future link]