West Virginia Senior and Disabled Assessment Pilot Project State Innovations: The Role of Technology in State Long-Term Care Reform

Abstract

The West Virginia Health Care Authority is in the process of implementing a pilot project in several West Virginia counties to evaluate the appropriateness of a unique, computerized, and comprehensive assessment tool for West Virginia’s seniors and disabled populations. The pilot project objectives stem from West Virginia’s need to embrace a uniform assessment tool for entry into the long-term care system. The pilot includes four users from three home care service types, home health agencies, case management agencies, and county senior programs. The goal of the pilot is to expand the application of this innovative tool across the spectrum of services to build the necessary bridges between the acute and long-term care system. The results and recommendations that come from this cutting-edge project will provide efficient communication of confidential information across providers and enhanced clinical decision making to improve the quality of care delivered to each and every individual.