ABSTRACT
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Work Service has designed, developed and implemented the Social Work Information Management System (SWIMS) which provides for the collection and reporting of both administrative and clinical information. This paper describes the implementation of one component of SWIMS, the automated Social Work Data Base/Assessment. The discussion details the implementation process and discusses issues encountered in the implementation of a computerized documentation system.
Subject(s)
Database Management Systems , Information Systems , Social Work , Computer User Training , Hospital Information Systems , Hospitals, Veterans , Humans , Records , Social Work Department, Hospital , United States , United States Department of Veterans AffairsABSTRACT
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Work Service has designed, developed and implemented the Social Work Information Management System (SWIMS) which provides for both administrative and clinical reporting. The system is clinically based and includes an option for case recording. The social work staff, who will use the system, was integrally involved in all phases of planning. The processes of the design, development, testing and implementation are discussed.
Subject(s)
Database Management Systems , Social Work/organization & administration , United States Department of Veterans Affairs/organization & administration , Humans , Software Design , United StatesABSTRACT
As a result of public law 99-166 the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in San Juan (DVAMC), Puerto Rico engaged in a planned de-institutionalization of psychiatric veteran patients who had been treated in two contracted psychiatric hospitals in the community. This research seeks to determine whether they were receiving treatment after the deinstitutionalization effort was completed, the types of psychosocial problems they were facing and the resources utilized to cope with them. The authors found that the veterans were receiving treatment for their psychosocial problems, they relied to a great extent on DVAMC for services and that the psychosocial problems of those veterans over age 55 were less and differed from those under age 55.
Subject(s)
Community Mental Health Services/statistics & numerical data , Deinstitutionalization , Mental Disorders/rehabilitation , Activities of Daily Living , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Community Mental Health Services/supply & distribution , Employment , Family , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Income , Male , Middle Aged , Puerto Rico , Social Problems , United States , United States Department of Veterans AffairsABSTRACT
A study was made of a matched-random sample of veterans who had been discharged from two VA contract psychiatric hospitals in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The authors wished to determine what had happened to the veterans who were formerly treated in the psychiatric hospitals and whether these veterans were receiving treatment or not. The analysis of the data revealed that the majority of veteran's had received either inpatient or ambulatory treatment for either psychiatric or medical/surgical conditions. The older group of veterans had utilized medical treatment resources to a greater extend that the younger group. The number of hospitalizations decreased from 8.5 prior to June of 1984 to 3.6 after June 1984. Although patients continued utilizing and depending upon VA ambulatory care for medical services needed.
