Traditional acuity systems have met with limited success in hospitals.
The requirements and high costs of installation, auditing, maintenanc
e, and updating have been problematic criticisms, Intermountain Health
Care developed an innovative system which focuses on and refines the
professional judgment and decision making of nurses and caregivers as
the basis for patient classification and staffing, Results have been f
avorable for: (a) increasing the usefulness and accuracy of the inform
ation, (b) enabling delivery-level innovation in staffing models and s
uccessfully considering and testing alternative care delivery models t
o reduce the costs of care, (c) reducing the expenses associated with
maintaining, auditing, and updating the systems, and (d) fostering del
ivery-level ownership and enhancing the professionalism and satisfacti
on of the caregiver users.