Issues in the use of the Alberta Patient Classification System to fund Ontario long term care.

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to assess some of the issues surrounding the use of the Alberta Patient Classification System for Long Term Care Facilities (APCS) to fund Ontario long term care by attempting to answer the following questions: 1) Is the APCS valid for classifying Ontario long term care patients?; 2) Is it appropriate to use the APCS to fund Ontario long term care?, and; 3) What is required to develop a valid long term care patient classification and funding system appropriate for Ontario? The paper discusses why it may be inappropriate to use the APCS to classify Ontario long term care patients, some of the important financial consequences to a long term care facility if the APCS is inappropriate, and what might be necessary for a better patient classification and funding strategy. The potential and pitfalls of adopting patient classification systems developed in a different health system should be of interest to nurse managers in all provinces.