Data Collection

The first step in developing a Process Improvement Performance Management (PIPM) system is to determine what information related to process improvement states (or other payers) and providers will collect.

The STAR-SI initiative and other NIATx projects provided lessons on what information must be collected. States often did not collect the date of first contact. State (and other payer) systems may also fail to adequately capture other key process improvement variables.

Conduct a Data Walk-through of Your System

Conduct a data walk-through to make sure you are collecting the right data, following the steps outlined below:

1. Use the Process Improvement Data Checklist to identify all data elements currently available in the state system.
2. Create a flowchart of the the process for the submission of provider-level data to the state.
3. Examine the instruction manuals used by providers regarding the data submission process. Consider whether you understand the procedures and what they are telling you to do in order to successfully complete a data submission? Are the instructions understandable and easy to use?
4. Pull a small sample of records (n = 20) associated with the data elements in the PIDC and review the them in light of the following questions:
• Could the data easily be pulled from the state system?
• What barriers were encountered?
• How complete is the data?
• How accurate was the data?
• Were there significant missing gaps in the data?
• Did you notice any errors in the data?

Create a brief synopsis of the lessons learned from the data walk-through. What seems to work well? What are potential areas for improvement?

Use the PIDC to determine what key process improvement measures are missing from your system. If date of first contact is missing, as it is in many states, consider modifying existing forms or expanding existing data capabilities to capture this variable. For example:

• Maine added fields to its TDS forms to capture date of first phone call, data of first face-to-face contact, and date of first treatment session on their admission forms.
• Oklahoma added a Contact 21 form by modifying an existing online data collection form in its ISIS system.
• Ohio modified its existing behavioral health module to capture the key elements related to process improvement.

Other Stories

When implementing changes to the reporting system for providers, states can support the process by:

• Explaining when it is appropriate to collect and submit data for the first contact
• Providing training to providers on collecting the information.
  • Maine revised its TDS manual to reflect capturing these new data elements.
  • New York created a series of user guides and training video for its providers and placed the tools on the state Web site. Read the full story for more information.
  • The Maine OSA offers help desk support to providers during business hours. Maine also assigned a data specialist to ensure standardized reporting and data integrity.
• As part of the STAR-SI project, Ohio worked to clarify data definitions to make data collection easier and more accurate. Read the full story for more information.

However, some states did not have an existing system to capture any of the key process improvement variables. These states used the NIATx spreadsheet to create an online reporting system for process improvement performance measurement in their states. The state of New York had to create a PIPM system to support its ongoing quality efforts. Read the New York story to learn more.

Oregon is another state that built their system for the NIATx 200 project using the NIATx worksheet as the foundation of their system. State staff in Oregon also discussed the design process with staff from New York in order to leverage their ideas in the design of the Oregon system. The Oregon system is available through a secure login at their website. The site contains a link to frequently asked questions . The state also prepared four additional documents to help providers navigate the system:

1. How to Administer the NIATx Applications
2. NIATx Cover Letter
3. NIATx Functionality
4. Step by Step NIATx Instructions