A National Survey of Data Currently being Collected by Adult Day Service Centers Across the United States

Abstract

An understanding of adult day service centers’ (ADC) impacts on clients’ health and well-being has been hampered by a lack of large-scale data. Standardizing data collection is critical to strengthening ADC programs, demonstrating their effectiveness, and enabling them to leverage additional funding streams beyond Medicaid. We distributed an electronic survey on current data collection efforts to ADCs nationally to determine categories of data ADCs are collecting related to clients’ health. In our sample ( N = 248), only 32% of ADCs collected patient-level data for research and analysis—most commonly on activities of daily living, cognition, nutrition, and caregiver strain. However, validated assessment tools were used in less than 50% of the cases. ADCs are willing to collect data: More than 70% reported a willingness to participate in future studies. National studies piloting data collection protocols with uniform outcome measures are needed to advance the understanding of ADCs’ capabilities and impacts.

Dementia patient and caregiver relevant outcomes currently being reported by adult day service centers in the United States

“…To do this, we revisited results from our 2020 national survey of adult day service providers conducted in conjunction with NADSA. 11 We examined answers to the survey questions listed in Table 1 .…”

“…To identify data points currently being collected at ADS sites we had to first identify states that require ADS sites to report participant level data and the regulatory forms that are used to collect these data. To do this, we revisited results from our 2020 national survey of adult day service providers conducted in conjunction with NADSA 11 . We examined answers to the survey questions listed in Table 1.…”

“…An analysis of survey results revealed that only 32% of respondents reported regularly obtaining client outcome data for research purposes. 11 …”

“…In early 2020, researchers distributed a survey to the 3768 members of the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA) LISTSERV to discern what data are currently being collected by ADS centers, as well as to learn more about the data collection requirements in each state. An analysis of survey results revealed that only 32% of respondents reported regularly obtaining client outcome data for research purposes 11 …”