Journal: COMPUTERS IN HUMAN
SERVICES
Volume 14, Number 2 1997
ã 1997 by
The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
MedSWIS
Software Review Summary
Software Product: MedSWIS for Windows
Keywords: Case Management, productivity measures,
quality assurance, caseload tracking and quantification.
Product Summary: MedSWIS with MedGraph makes it
possible to measure social work productivity, caseload size,
distribution, costs, quality improvement, and obtain a visual
demonstration (graphs) of social work activities in the agency.
Evaluation Summary: MedSWIS provides an essential tool
to the practice of medical social work. This software makes it
possible to actually see what is going on in the practice of
social work. Productivities can be measured, continuos quality
improvement (CQI) can be tracked and caseloads monitored for
outcomes, progress and social worker time investment. These
measures can also be graphs using the MedGraph program,
which makes the emerging patterns of practice visible. MedGraph
automatically creates graphs from existing data which eliminates
the re-entry of data into a graphics program. MedGraph also
allows one to input the data manually to create graphs from any
data set. It is a very simple program which make the creation of
graphs a quick and easy process.
Source: MedSWIS Software, 4425 North Wildwood Avenue,
Milwaukee, WI 53211; Phone: (414) 964-4789; Fax: (414) 964-2974;
E-mail: info@medswis.com World Wide Web: www.medswis.com
Product Detail: Price: $1995.00 for single use ($385
annual maintenance fee) or $9000 for a multi-site license ($825
annual maintenance fee) which allows for use in up to four
affiliated hospitals or separate departments and includes the
add-on modules (MedGraph and CQI). With a greater
investment additional add-ons are available including the Enhanced
Module ($500) which tracks Daily Activity time measures and
calculates costs per patient. It also allows for a print-out of
Community Resources indexed for particular patient needs to be
given at discharge. A character-reading scanner ($4900) is
also available at an extra charge. The scanner allows the data
forms to be scanned-in, thus saving data entry time. An
additional product called dSalvage ($200) automatically
repairs glitched databases! This product is essential when
databases are used. It repairs FoxPro, dBase and Clipper
databases. A DEMO (DOS version only) of MedSWIS is
available for $15 and it will allow you to process several cases
to see how the software works. The latest
version of MedSWIS is a Windows based program which
utilizes the ease of point and click technology very effectively.
Reviewer: M.Marie Green, DSW
Clinical Social Worker-Outreach Clinics
Intermountain Health Care
McKay-Dee Hospital-Women & Children’s Department
3939 Harrison Boulevard
Ogden UT 84409
E-mail: mgreen@xmission.com
Hardware: The hardware used to evaluate the program was
a Pentium-100MHz, with 16 MB RAM and Windows 95. Recommended
system requirements are a minimum 386-SX IBM or compatible
computer with 640K of RAM or greater and a 40 megabyte hard
drive. A VGA or EGA monitor is required. The system is in color
making a color monitor beneficial. For the Windows version, a
mouse is recommended. Either a dot matrix or laser jet printer
can be used. If used on a Network this should be Novell or
compatible. The Software is available is 5 ¼ or 3.5 disks and
versions are available for DOS, Windows or Macintosh.
The primary users for the software are social workers, case
managers or discharge planners. The software was originally
prepared for the hospital inpatient case management and social
work departments. Over the years it has been fine tuned and made
more flexible to enable use in the broadening base of
decentralized medical social work and consequently could be used
in a variety of social welfare agencies.
The software is designed to be dummy proof and it fulfills
this intent. MedSWIS is highly suitable for the job of
case management, tracking and measurement. Although it is complex
in its design, it maintains a simplicity which makes it very user
friendly. There are also multiple possibilities for obtaining the
support services needed from the publisher. One can contact the
company by phone, by fax, or by E-mail. This has been done on
several occasions by this reviewer and the support staff were
courteous, friendly and high skilled. The ability to send E-mail
is especially helpful when one is very busy during the day time
and may only have limited tome in the late afternoons to perhaps
send an E-mail of questions or of a data sheet for which one
would like a consultation. You are invited to send the MedSWIS
staff your initial data collection form for input and fine
tuning. This piece of consultation is very helpful as you begin
the design process for collecting very specific data for your
particular agency needs and for the targeted populations. The
form can be changed through time as different elements become
more important. Different fields can be reserved for pieces of
data to be collected later.
FEATURES
MedSWIS makes it possible to gather and compile data to
enable acuity based productivity measurement, chart notes,
billing, and future reminder notes (this is extremely helpful in
case tracking and outcome studies). The program provides over 70
automatic reports and allows for the easily constructed ad hoc
reports which can be created by pairing up several different
fields of data for a specialized report. For instance, if you
wanted to know the number of cases, the worker, the area, the
acuities and the number of referrals made along with the outcomes
you could request this is an ad hoc report. Or if you wanted to
compare outcomes and billing information, you could create an ad
hoc report using the acuity, outcome and time spent fields. You
can basically pair any if data fields with any others and obtain
the desired reports. This is especially true if you are seeking
information which was not anticipated at the start but has become
necessary in the changing environment of social work management.
Particular fields are set aside for "Research" making
it possible to track the number of cases related to a specific
problem. Suppose you wanted to know how many patients with heart
attacks who are single or with little family support or how many
patients with methicillin resistant staph aureas (MARSA)
require how many hours of social work.
PERFORMANCE
MedSWIS is very fine tuned due to its time in use by
social workers in over 40 states in the USA. It has been in use
throughout the USA for over 10 years. The newest version is
Windows 95 compatible and basically incorporates the simplicity
and power of Windows. Upgrades are usually available every year
and it is in a constant state of improvement.
After 10 years plus in actual use, the software performs very
well. Any bugs in the software are usually recognized and
corrected before the end users become aware of their existence.
Corrected disks are sent to users immediately. The program ahs
been fine tuned and the staff have organized support to a high
level. The software does what it claims to do. If there are times
when the software does not seem to perform, the help is only a
phone call away. There have been no performance problems noted in
the new Windows 95 version.
One difficulty noted by this reviewer is that the combination
of the Windows and the DOS commands within the program can be
confusing. The program incorporates the point-and-click aspects
of Windows for the program menus but then one has to use the
"Enter" key rather than the mouse to make the selection
work. This is cumbersome and takes some getting use to. The next
version will be completely Windows based and the regular
point-and-click function are scheduled to work without having to
press the "Enter" key. The software producers have had
to accommodate both Windows and DOS users since many hospital
social work departments do not yet have upgraded computers.
One good indicator of the functionality of the software is the
reports’ from current users. These users continue to provide
consistent reports on the high quality, effectiveness and
efficiency of the software.
MedSWIS is adaptable to a variety of settings including
inpatient, outpatient, clinic, crisis intervention/ER, clinical
private practice and even in community outreach systems. The
various fields in the software can be tailored to meet the needs
of different settings, agencies, populations and caseload
dynamics. One can collect over 45 pieces of data on each case or
a few as 5 or 6 by simply selecting the long form or short form.
These two different forms can be used simultaneously such as in
case tracking of Emergency Department cases versus regular
inpatient cases. One could use either form in outpatient clinics,
crisis intervention cases or longer term cases such as
Rehabilitation or Newborn Intensive Care cases. One could also
specify language spoken as a field to track the number of cases
per month in which translator services may have been necessary.
Nearly any kind of data can be collected, such as income, age,
zip code area, language, length of stay, referrals made, etc., to
elicit patterns which can promote better planning.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Special features of the software include the MedGraph and
CQI Modules which allow for automatic quality control
charts. These features used over time create a pictorial view of
the process of social work practice in the agency. These views
are valuable in the context of monitoring and promoting quality,
productivity and financial viability. Without these modules and
software the practice of social would be like driving around
without a gas gauge on your car. You’d never know how far
you could go or when to obtain more resources (gas). With MedSWIS
and the added modules the manager will know much of what
there is to know about the qualities of the caseload and the
costs of providing or not providing services in a given area or
by a given worker. The manager would be able to determine where
the complex cases are and which worker had sufficient skills and
outcome history to handle the problems in various areas.
Documentation
All details are well covered in the documentation. This
documentation provides added benefits which includes a careful
consideration of those items tracked and measured to obtain
maximum benefits for the manager and the department. This
documentation was developed by practicing social workers skilled
in medical social work, measures and productivity management and
this expertise is very obvious as one reads through the MedSWIS
manual. The manual clarifies those areas which can be
measured and those improvements which can be sought after in the
department.
On screen are pull-down menus for help and to obtain the
desired action within the program. The program is congruent with
Windows’ point and click technology of action selection.
Screens are well organized and easily found and utilized.
Directions are simple and direct.
SUPPORT
Support for the software is available via phone, fax and
E-mail. The support staff are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Central Time. After hours E-mail or fax can be used to
communicate difficulties and obtain support. One can fax reports
and ask questions or call and discuss issues which have arisen.
The staff are helpful and attentive and do a good job of
following through. Essentially, they do a good job of hand
holding if that is needed at the outset. And that is greatly
appreciated by the new users who are taking their first steps
into the high tech management of social work productivity. Even
seasoned users appreciate the easily accessible MedSWIS staff
when questions arise about measures and which fields will allow
for what kinds of data to be reported.
CONCLUSION
MedSWIS software makes it possible to discover patterns
in social work practice. These patterns when analyzed can provide
the information necessary to implement continuos quality
improvement, obtain necessary statistics, improve caseload
disbursement among staff equitably, and establish savings and
costs associated with social work intervention. This software
provides one if the best ways available to demonstrate the costs,
time and staffing required to provide professional social work
services in a variety of settings in a variety of coverage areas.
As a user of this software for several years, this reviewer has
found it to be an absolute necessity in the inpatient hospital
setting, home health care and outpatient clinics including a
newly opened school-based health center. Newly organized
outpatient programs can be quickly analyzed to determine the
emerging patterns and the social work needs and practice demands.
MedSWIS has been very useful during a time a transference
of direct patient intervention from the in-hospital setting to
the community based clinics and outpatient settings. In total, MedSWIS
is a great tool and easy to use for maximum benefit to the social
workers and to the systems in which they provide services.
