Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement in Home and Community Based Services

OHIO

Grant Information


Name of Grantee

Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

Title of Grant

Ohio's Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Project

Type of Grant

Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement in Home and Community Based Services

Amount of Grant

$499,740

Year Original Funding Received

2003

Contact Information


Donald E. Bashaw, Project Director
614-728-2524
don.bashaw@dmr.state.oh.us

Suzzanne Reimold Freeze
Project Manager
Ohio DMRDD
35 E. Chestnut Street, 5th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-2541
614-728-2518
suzzanne.freeze@dmr.state.oh.us

Subcontractor(s)

None.

Target Population(s)


Individuals with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities.

Goals


  • Design and implement a quality information management system, based on a quality framework unique to Ohio, using data generated by the service system to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of services and supports to individuals with disabilities, their families, and the system at large.
  • Develop and implement computerized tools to facilitate the collection, organization, and analysis of data on quality and to provide valuable information to all systems users.

Activities


  • Evaluate Ohio's current quality assurance and quality improvement (QA/QI) system activities.
  • Research and develop a quality framework unique to Ohio, reflecting personal and systems outcomes, core indicators, and performance measures.
  • Design a training curriculum specific to quality management and related concepts, supporting development and implementation of a quality information management system.
  • Establish a statewide and a six-region quality council structure to govern, advise, and implement a quality management system.
  • Design and implement the capacity to report information according to the quality framework.
  • Purchase, install, and test the necessary hardware and software.

Abstract


The Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (ODMR/DD) is the repository of a considerable amount of data and information from Ohio's diverse county-based service delivery system. The Department collects extensive demographic information about individuals served as reported by each of 88 local county boards of mental retardation and developmental disabilities (hereafter, county board). More specifically, through "monitoring and compliance" reviews conducted by various offices of the Department, a considerable amount of data and information is amassed specific to local agencies' management and delivery of services and supports to individuals. Each of these review protocols is exhaustive in their evaluation of county boards' and private providers' compliance with federal and state law and regulation.

This project will design and implement a quality information management system in which data generated by the service system is used to develop an integrated knowledge profile. This profile will identify areas of improved effectiveness and efficiency in the management and delivery of services and supports to individuals with disabilities.

The State contends that enhanced use of information already collected by the service delivery system can be used to increase the efficiency and improve the effectiveness of the supports available to individuals with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Successful execution of this project will yield (1) improved availability of useful information for individuals and families; (2) a comprehensive, statewide quality framework that outlines anticipated outcome measures for the service system; (3) data to determine training initiatives, technical assistance methodologies, public policy, effectiveness and efficiency measures, improved state and local resource deployment, and statistically-based trends and analyses; and (4) a system for reporting information/discoveries to local service providers, families, and individuals who use services and supports.