MONAHRQ^® Resources

Resources Table of Contents

MONAHRQ User Guides

• Host User Guide (PDF file, 3.1 MB) - provides detailed instructions on how to install the MONAHRQ software, load your data, and generate a reporting Website. We strongly recommend that you closely follow the MONAHRQ Host User Guide. Installation instructions are now included in the Host User Guide in Chapter 2.
• Quick Start Guide (PDF file, 191 KB) - Quick Start Guide highlights changes in MONAHRQ 4.0 and 4.0.1. It is designed to guide experienced MONAHRQ users as they upgrade to the 4.0.1 release.
• Measure List (Excel file, 24 KB; Excel Viewer) - The Measure List is an easy-to-reference spreadsheet listing all of the measures available in MONAHRQ 4.0. The measure list reflects the default measure description information that is provided MONAHRQ 4.0.
• Release Notes 4.0 (PDF file, 418 KB), Release Notes 4.0.1 (PDF file, 326 KB)- The release notes provide information about new features and changes.
• Fact Sheet (PDF file, 508 KB) - The Fact Sheet is an overview of MONAHRQ and its capabilities

If you would like guides for previous MONAHRQ versions, please refer to the MONAHRQ Archives.

Measure Description Information

The MONAHRQ software loads measure description information that it uses to generate Web pages. By default, MONAHRQ 4.0 includes measure description information for CMS Hospital Compare measures and for the AHRQ QI version 4.4. Measure description information for the AHRQ QI version 4.3a is also available.

To install the measure description information, download and save the installation package. When you run the installation package, you will be prompted for an installation directory. You must specify the root directory where the MONAHRQ software is installed. The files will automatically be placed in the appropriate subdirectory. Please note that the previous files will be overwritten.

• Measure Description Information for AHRQ QI 4.4 and CMS Hospital Compare (MONAHRQ_QI44.msi, 199 KB)
• Measure Description Information for AHRQ QI 4.3a and CMS Hospital Compare (MONAHRQ_QI43.msi, 200 KB)

Utilities

Area QI Cost Calculators

AHRQ has developed two cost calculator tools to calculate estimated costs for the area-level AHRQ Quality Indicators and report them in MONAHRQ. MONAHRQ displays this information as estimated cost savings from reducing potentially avoidable hospitalizations in the Maps of Avoidable Hospital Stays path of the MONAHRQ-generated website.

The Area QI Cost Calculator for Windows is designed for use with the AHRQ Quality Indicators software for Windows. It allows you to:

• Calculate estimated costs for the area-level AHRQ Quality Indicators.
• Export files that contain area-level AHRQ QI measure results and estimated costs. These files can be imported directly into MONAHRQ.

Instructions on installing and using the Cost Calculator for Windows are provided in the Host User Guide in Appendix F.

• Area QI Cost Calculator for Windows (CostCalculator_Windows.msi, 777 KB)

The Area QI Cost Calculator for SAS is designed for use with the AHRQ Quality Indicators software for SAS. It allows you to:

• Calculate estimated costs for the area-level AHRQ Quality Indicators.
• Produce SAS data files that contain area-level AHRQ QI measure results and estimated costs. After reformatting these files using the utilities above, they can be imported directly into MONAHRQ.

Instructions on installing and using the Cost Calculator for SAS are provided in the Host User Guide in Appendix H.

• Area QI Cost Calculator for SAS (ZIP file, 35 KB)

SAS Formatting Utilities for the AHRQ Quality Indicators
MONAHRQ 4.0 imports pre-calculated quality measures. If you wish to import quality indicator results from the AHRQ Quality Indicators software for SAS, you need to use these utilities to reformat your measure results files. Download one or more utility files for each of the desired AHRQ QI modules. Instructions on installation and use of these utilities are provided in the Host User Guide in Appendix F.

Presentations

• A presentation on MONAHRQ 4.0 is coming soon.
• This presentation (PPT file, 8.9 MB) provides a detailed overview of the capabilities and features of MONAHRQ 3.0.

Articles and Papers

• Diane Stollenwerk, NQF, MONAHRQ Design Improvement report (January 31, 2011) (PDF file, 434 KB)
• AHRQ Research Activities article MONAHRQ Gains Momentum (October 2011)