California's Multi-Purpose Senior Services Program(MSSP) is one of more than two-hundred Medicaid waiver programs that provide community-based long-term care services to low-income consumers who would otherwise be institutionalized . MSSP serves approximately 10,000 frail elderly individuals in California at 1 sites with a 25% expansion currently budgeted. However, in spite of the program's growing importance in the health care system, there is little information available on its impacts and costs. Current data tracking systems are out-dated, paper-based and cumbersome. MSSP sites and the MSSP Site Association (MSA) have expressed frustration with current systems and a desire to build a standardized information system to collect data that can be used for meeting stricter state and federal reporting requirements, policy planning and development and ongoing program and clinical improvement. This project aims to develop the information base called for by MSSP sites and State agencies responsible for funding them. The project will build a standardized, integrated information system for MSSP based on an existing RTZ associates software system for adult day services and use this system to develop a cross-site database for ongoing analysis. In completing the project's aims, RTZ Associates will collaborate with the MSA and the Partners in Care Foundation.
The software and the data warehouse follow a financially successful model for the applicant of leasing software to Community Long Term Care Providers. The initial marker will be MSSP sites in California followed by Case Management and Medicaid waiver programs throughout the country. The MSSP Association and its members are participating in the development and the pilot group has committed to lease the system. Future revenues will come from software leases and the sale of data reports.
