Senior Health Risk Assessment

Overview
DSS has been working in the health risk assessment area for nearly 20 years. Over that period, we have administered hundreds of thousands of HRA surveys to health plan members and provider patients. Our work has enabled us to relate HRA survey results with claims and clinical data and to identify those questions that are truly predictive of risk and to develop meaningful norms.

Our Tested, Validated and Proven Tool: SrHRA™ (under and over 65)
Based on our experience, claims analysis and literature review, a number of validated question sets and individual response items have been molded into one comprehensive instrument:

• 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).

Implementation Options
We offer a range of options to fit your needs:

• Data collection by mail, telephone, touch screen kiosk, Internet or a combination of these alternatives.
• Use the modules that make the most sense for your population and your objectives.
• A range of reporting options, including paper and/or various online formats.
• Database management tools.

DSS Experience with HRA Tools

• Beginning in the mid-1990s, focused exclusively on proprietary tools custom designed for each client.
• Detailed HRA tool, online reporting tool and management interface for a regional PHO. Offered as an online option with instant feedback starting in 1997.
• Short screening tool and management interface for use in private physician practice. Tool used to gather baseline and follow-up measurements, with printed results placed in patient medical record prior to physician consultation.
• Developed touch screen HRA tool and interface for provider offices for continual measurement of patient health status prior to visits with physician.
• Created a program to collect HRA data from residents of assisted living facilities and integrate information into an online reporting tool for continuous monitoring and tracking over time.
• Created specialized HRA tool to assess risk in relation to revenue across client’s portfolio of Medicare projects. Key issue, are richer plans attracting risks that exceed additional premium?

“Your program has enabled us to greatly increase the reach and effectiveness of our disease management programs.”

– Senior Manager, National Carrier

™SrHRA is a trademark of DSS Research, LP

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