Developing the use of MDS/RAI reports for UK care homes

The MDS/RAI (Minimum Data Set Resident Assessment Instrument) is a standardised assessment system developed by interRAI used internationally to raise standards of care in long-term care homes. Implementation in the UK has been sparse and currently there are no well-established demonstration sites for use in long-term care (although Cheshire has adopted and successfully implemented the MDS-HC (Minimum Data Set Home Care) for community care). Successful implementation of the MDS/RAI requires a methodical approach and commitment: it is a way of developing best practice that goes far beyond just gathering information about care needs. This project aimed to develop an implementation process model for MDS/RAI use in three UK care homes through an iterative and collaborative process. The report includes: • development of the MDS/RAI; • lessons learned from the international community on MDS/RAI best practice; • the development of MDS/RAI reports in the UK; • barriers to implementation in the UK; • recommendations for implementation in a care home; • future goals and development.The objective of this article is to describe the design of a study to evaluate the clinical and economic effects of a multidisciplinary integrated care model on functional health, quality of care and quality of life of persons living in residential care homes.