PSYCHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MINIMUM DATA SET I - CONFIRMATORYFACTOR-ANALYSIS

OBJECTIVE: To determine the structure and statistical reliability of t he federally mandated Minimum Data Set (MDS). DESIGN: Confirmatory, hy pothesis-testing factor analysis was performed on MDS protocols of 733 nursing home residents. SETTING: All participants were residents of t he Philadelphia Geriatric Center.PARTICIPANTS: Participants represente d consecutively admitted skilled and intermediate care residents and a nother pool of residents with probable dementia. MEASUREMENTS: MDS pro tocols were completed by nurse care coordinators. Item composites hypo thesized represented the: domains of cognition, activities of daily li ving, time use, social quality, depression, and problem behaviors. RES ULTS: For higher functioning residents (n = 336) and for all residents together, all domain clusters except social quality were confirmed. N one of the domain clusters were confirmed within the more impaired (n = 391) group. CONCLUSIONS: The MDS does provide usable indicators of f ive areas of basic competence of nursing home residents. Lack of relia bility in rating many aspects of the behavior and states of cognitivel y impaired residents is evident, however. Improvement of such measures and rating procedures constitutes a major research priority.