National consensus on data elements for nurse managed health centers.

This report presents a summary of the findings from the National Network for Nurse Managed Health Centers Data Consensus Conference. Nationally, nurse-managed health centers are increasingly offering communities another option for access to high-quality primary care. The lack of agreed upon, standardized data elements for these centers has limited the ability to present clear information about their contributions as well as to inform policy related to their support and development. Fifty-three national invitees came to consensus in Washington, DC on the critical data elements for a national database for nurse-managed health centers. This database includes both clinical and financial/business practices elements. Consensus was not reached around some clinical areas. These areas are briefly discussed as well as the plans for next stages of data collection.