The Michigan Workforce Background Check (MWBC) system is a Web-based application that centralizes the screening process for job applicants at long-term care facilities by integrating the checking of registries and databases, and by providing secure communication between the system and state agencies. A key feature of the system is the rap back, which is a process whereby fingerprint images submitted by healthcare workers are maintained in a database and compared against arrest fingerprints to track subsequent criminal activity. Rap backs eliminate the need for subsequent fingerprinting to update criminal record information. A user-centered design process was used to create the interaction design during the development process, resulting in very few post-release adjustments and saved time and financial resources. Patient safety is improved due to this rap back process because unfit workers are immediately identified and removed from long-term care facilities.
Decision makers face difficult choices when tasked with identifying and implementing appropriate mechanisms for protecting the elderly and other vulnerable adults from abuse. A pilot project involving fingerprint-based criminal history background checks for personal care workers in Michigan has supplied an opportunity to examine one such mechanism. In conjunction with the pilot project, we have conducted a stakeholder analysis with the aim of informing decision makers about stakeholder perceptions of standard policy criteria like effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. We employed focus groups and a Web-based survey to collect data from stakeholders. While stakeholders generally see fingerprint-based background checks for personal care workers as potentially effective and as a net benefit, they also point to a variety of contingencies. They also recognize difficulties and constraints for government involvement. This preliminary analysis provides solid foundational information for decision makers and for more extensive benefit-cost analysis.
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