Development of a prototype for a Residential Program Reporting and Outcomes Monitoring System (RPROMS) is proposed to improve quality of mental health residential services. RPROMS is modeled on systems for psychiatric outpatient treatment, which offer reports that result in better utilization of resources and improved treatment outcomes as well as methods of data capture with dramatically reduced costs. RPROMS will employ very simple, cost-efficient methods of data capture, instruments and measures with demonstrated reliability and validity, and reports which meet the information needs of residents, line staff; program management, and external authorities. We will develop and test a prototype of this system employing inexpensive, widely available computer hardware and software. Two, large residential organizations in New York and Massachusetts have agreed to participate in this nine-month effort. Feasibility of the system will be assessed against four criteria: Value of the system to agency line staff and resident; Value of the system to managers; Reasonableness of cost; and Efficiency of automation. We expect that this system will provide organizations with a cost-effective method for meeting internal needs for monitoring resident outcomes, leading to improved quality of care, and external needs for providing evidence of program effectiveness to accreditation and funding authorities. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: This Residential Program Reporting and Outcomes Monitoring System is designed to be adopted by mental health residential programs. This is an industry that serves 100,000-150,000 people annually, with spending in excess of $1.6 billion, but lacks the information management capacity to meet its needs for internal quality assurance and external accountability. If the present research is successful, we will have demonstrated a cost- effective prototype for acquisition by large and small organizations providing these services throughout the United States and Canada. This system could also be adopted by other types of mental health community support programs
