The Senior Assessment Coupler: point-of-care decision support and data acquisition tool.

In an effort to provide more effective, point-of-care management of the elderly population in the state of Vermont and to begin to collect data on health care outcomes across this population, the Vermont Department of Aging and Disabilities partnered with the PKC Corporation to pilot test the Senior Assessment Coupler. Results of this pilot have shown that the Coupler is an effective tool for collecting health status information, providing decision support at the point of care, facilitating reporting to various state and federal agencies, and empowering elderly Vermonters to make informed decisions about their health care and quality of life.