Home & Community-Based Services Report Card Project
Brief Description: In May of 2013, legislation was passed directing the creation of a Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Report Card for Minnesota providers as part of a larger proposal that is focusing on redesigning access for Minnesotans who need long term care services and supports and their caregivers. The report card will provide helpful information to consumers, their families and case managers about HCBS services which they can use when comparing service options.
History and Background: Information about most HCBS services available to Minnesotans can be found at www.minnesotahelp.info. This includes a description of the service, features such as payment sources, staff capabilities, etc. However, there is currently not a single, objective method for consumers and case managers to use for comparing those services based on consistently applied criteria across all services.
Purpose:
The HCBS Report Card has two purposes:
Make it possible for consumers, their caregivers and case managers to compare one provider of a particular type with another to help them make the best possible care decisions:
- Registration and licensing information currently required by DHS and MDH is limited (with the exception of UCIG data).
- Information available on MinnesotaHelp.info is more comprehensive, but is dependent upon voluntary Provider participation, leading to gaps in data that could be crucial for making informed care decisions.
Make it possible for providers to measure the results of their quality improvement efforts.
Staff will work with appropriate state agencies (DHS, MDH), area agencies on aging, long-term care trade associations and consumers/caregivers of applicable home and community based services to identify quality measures for an HCBS Report Card. As indicated in legislation, the Uniform Consumer Information Guide currently in use by most Housing with Services Providers will be used as a base for developing the measures.
An environmental scan of data in Minnesotahelp.info in addition to potential external data sources will take place during each phase of the project. Communications strategies about the availability of the HCBS Report Card will be developed. In addition, a format for displaying the Report Card in MinnesotaHelp.info will be developed, tested and moved to production. A communications plan will be followed to ensure that stakeholders receive appropriate information throughout the process, both before and after launch of the Report Card.
The Project:
The first process will include creating objective process for displaying the report card measures using Minnesotahelp.info features as well as creating a level of consensus around a consumer review style approach (like Amazon or Ebay) to rating the services.
As a part of this the contractors and staff will engage in stakeholder process (this includes stakeholders of all types) in the process of identifying measures will be key to ensuring that consumers and case managers are well served by the information included in the HCBS Report Card and that providers are able to use the Report Card as a helpful means of measuring service quality.
The overarching goal is a balance between the interests of consumers, providers and regulators to ensure that the HCBS Report Card is objective and genuinely useful to helping people making decisions across three domains (quality of life, choice and care).
Project phases
Availability of Report Cards for various types of providers will come in phases. Currently, we intend to roll out the Report Card for the provider types in the order listed below. However, factors such as format and availability of data, and ease or difficulty with which the data can be obtained, may result in altering this approach.
- Phase 1
- Supported Employment Services
- Housing with services including Assisted Living but not include homeless shelters
- Independent Living ServicesLater years:
- Later phases (2015 and beyond)
- Caregiver Training And Education
- Assistive Technology
- Case Management
- Consumer-Directed Community Supports
- Behavior Programming By Professionals
- Home-Delivered Meals
- Modifications To Home Or Vehicle
- Homemaking And Chore Services
- Specialized Supplies And Equipment
- Transportation Services
- Respite Care
- Certified Community Residential Services (Residential Care)
- Extended Ma Home Care Services, Including Therapies
- Transitional Services
Design and communications about the Report Card
Consumers, caregivers and case managers should know what the Report Card is (and what it is not), and what each of the measures on the Report Card mean.
Providers should understand the data behind the measures and what they can do to improve/maintain a high grade.
Care coordinators and case managers responsible for referring people to services should also understand the data behind the measures and use it appropriately to encourage high quality service.
Current status Phase 1
Spring 2014 – The lead staff is in the process of being hired and an initial grant for managing the initiative externally focusing on stakeholder input and group meeting support and focus groups with consumers which began in mid-june.
Early Summer 2014 – Provider stakeholder groups will meet over three days (June 17-19)
- Late Summer 2014 – Focus groups and road show to gather more feedback and recommendations around Metrics – Report to the Legislature in August 2014.
- Fall 2014 – Metrics finalized and data sources pathways finalized for use or for further development. Display mockups in Minnesotahelp.info circulated to Stakeholders for input.
- Winter 2014 – Programming
- Spring 2014 – Testing
- July 2015 – Release to public
Late Summer and Fall 2014 – Legislation mandates a report with recommendations on the report card due on August 1. There is a statewide video conference on August 14th and a road show will be conducted once candidate measures are developed for further review by the providers. A second round of consumer focus groups will be conducted. The HCBS Report Card must be developed and moved to production by July 1, 2015.
HCBS Report Card Roadshow information
HCBS Report Care Stakeholder Weekly Update Email Blasts
