DSS offers a wide range of Health Risk Assessment measurement tools to the health care industry, including health plans, health care providers, and medical products and pharma organizations. We have been doing HRAs for a variety of health care organizations for over 20 years. We have administered hundreds of thousands of HRA surveys to health plan members, provider patients and others. In connection with this work, we have analyzed HRA survey results in relation to claims and clinical data to identify those measures that are truly predictive of risk, to develop predictive modeling tools and to develop meaningful norms for different population subgroups. Many of our clients use our DSS Senior HRA to meet their MA HRA requirements and a number of clients use our Special Needs Plan HRA to meet regulatory requirements for those programs. We offer:
Health Risk Assessment
Valid, reliable, predictive tools from DSS
DSS offers a range of health risk assessment (HRA) measurement tools to the health care industry, including health plans, health service providers, medical products and pharma organizations. In the health plan area, our work covers commercially insured consumers as well as those with Medicare, Medicaid, dual eligible and SNP coverage.
DSS has been doing health risk assessments (HRAs) for health care organizations for more than 20 years. Over the last two decades, we have administered hundreds of thousands of HRA surveys to health plan members, provider patients and others. In connection with this work, we have analyzed HRA survey results in relation to claims and clinical data to identify those measures that are truly predictive of risk, to develop predictive modeling tools and to develop meaningful norms for different population subgroups.
Our family of HRA tools:
DSS Senior (SrHRA™) and Special Needs Plan (SnHRA™) HRAs DSS StHRA™ tool for the under 65 population Specialized DSS tools for diabetes, depression, asthma, joint replacement, anxiety
DSS Senior (SrHRA™) and Special Needs Plan (SnHRA™) HRAsThe DSS SrHRA and SnHRA tools are similar, with the SnHRA adjusted to address those under 65 with special needs. Both are based on solid science and empirical testing. Both combine a variety of measures of physical and mental health, current conditions, preventive care and current health care usage into integrated measurement tools. Based on our scoring system, 65 and over or SNP members are categorized from low to high risk on a number of important dimensions including overall health, mental health, frailty, probability of hospital readmission and other general risks based on existing conditions and lifestyle.
Our program includes an online reporting system that delivers a comprehensive set of reports to identify at-risk individuals and compare health risk across groups. Results can be summarized for any subpopulation of interest and individuals can be selected for intervention based on any criteria you specify in the reporting tool. Summary reports can be printed for case managers and personalized reports can be delivered to individual members or their health care providers for patient follow-up if you choose either or both of these options.
DSS SrHRA and SnHRA tools include:
- Brody Frailty Index – uses four questions to reliably predict the level of frailty in senior populations.
- CMS Frailty Scale – uses an index of activities for daily living to show high correlation with Medicare claims.
- Pra – most common measure for calculating probability for repeated hospital admissions.
- SF-12® – proven instrument for assessing mental and physical health of all populations.
- BMI – standard calculation of body mass index and reference to latest clinical guidelines.
- 5-item depression screener – most common depression screening items (multiple sources).
- 17 chronic conditions – items with highest prevalence and greatest relationship to future claims.
- Demographics – age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, type of residence and current living arrangement were selected for their descriptive and predictive characteristics.
- Health service usage – physicians, outpatient, ER, inpatient and prescription usage is measured to predict both current and future medical costs.
- Preventive care – adherence to best practices for preventive care (e.g., pap smears, mammograms, flu shots, etc. at recommended intervals).
DSS StHRA™ tool for the under 65 population
The DSS StHRA tool was developed in the same scientific manner employed in the development of our other HRA tools. It includes many of the same measures included in our SrHRA and SnHRA instruments:
- Pra – most common measure for calculating probability for repeated hospital admissions.
- SF-12® – proven instrument for assessing mental and physical health of all populations.
- BMI – standard calculation of body mass index and reference to latest clinical guidelines.
- 5-item depression screener – most common depression screening items (multiple sources).
- 17 chronic conditions – items with highest prevalence and greatest relationship to future claims.
- Demographics – age, gender, ethnicity, educational level, type of residence and current living arrangement were selected for their descriptive and predictive characteristics.
- Health service usage – physicians, outpatient, ER, inpatient and prescription usage is measured to predict both current and future medical costs.
- Preventive care – adherence to best practices for preventive care (e.g., pap smears, mammograms, flu shots, etc. at recommended intervals).
With DSS you get:
- Proven valid and reliable HRA tools for senior, SNP and under 65 populations.
- Our extensive experience working with these populations.
- Ability to get your HRA program up and running quickly with minimum effort on your part.
- Everything done in-house to insure data security, accuracy, control of timing and control of costs. Online reporting tool that provides daily feedback.
- Systems in place to securely receive and return data.
- Powerful, extended reporting options.
Specialized DSS tools for diabetes, depression, asthma, joint replacement, anxiety
Disease state management is both a goal and a promise of managed care. Patient perspectives and experiential feedback are integral to a sound management program. DSS can work with your medical management and disease management teams to develop and implement your own patient feedback measurement system or can help you adapt an existing tool to your membership base and management goals.
Contact DSS
For more information or to request an HRA proposal contact us or call 800-989-5150 and ask for the Medicare Team.
