Long Term Care Minimum Data Set (MDS)

The Long-Term Care Minimum Data Set (MDS) is a standardized, primary screening and assessment tool of health status that forms the foundation of the comprehensive assessment for all residents in a Medicare and/or Medicaid-certified long-term care facility. The MDS contains items that measure physical, psychological and psychosocial functioning. The items in the MDS give a multidimensional view of the patient's functional capacities and helps staff to identify health problems.

All requests for identifiable data must be developed and reviewed with the assistance of the Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC), who may be contacted at www.resdac.umn.edu or at resdac@umn.edu.

Once your data request has been reviewed by ResDAC, the final request can be sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as directed by ResDAC