Software Leads to Better Care

Wechsler reports a system that was developed by a New York state group is now being used by more than 400 skilled nursing facilities around the country. The grant funded project, that started in 1996, was to develop a computer program that would assist in the prevention of decubitus ulcers and elderly falls. "The secret to the program is modeling software not unlike programs used to predict the weather or stock prices.The variables in this case are health criteria taken quarterly from patients, as required by the federal government.Nursing home staff keep track of a patient's coherence, eating habits, medications, socialization and mobility, among other indicators.All those variables are added to the program, and used to determine the likelihood of a patient falling or suffering from pressure ulcers, otherwise known as bedsores.The program is now being improved to look at other issues, such as pain or urinary tract infections."