National Prosthetic Patient Database (NPPD (Prosthetics & Sensory Aids Service))

The National Prosthetics Patient Database (NPPD) established a central database of Prosthetics data recorded at each Veterans Health Administration facility. Its objective was to enable clinical reviews to increase quality, reduce costs, and improve efficiency of the Prosthetics program. Increase the quality of the services to our Veterans by providing a means to develop consistency in services, review prescription and management practices, develop training, monitor Home Medical Equipment, and measure performance improvements. Reduce costs by comparing costs system-wide, identifying common items for consolidated contracting, identifying costs for Medical Cost Care Funds (MCCF) purposes and improving contracting cost benefit. Improve efficiency by validating the data, improving budget management, determining where coding errors occur, providing training, and comparing unique social security numbers for multiple site usage and item issue. The NPPD Menu provides patient information, patient eligibility, Prosthetic treatment, date of provision, cost, vendor, and purchasing agent information. This system tracks average cost data and its usage and provides on both a monthly and quarterly basis detailed and summary reports by station, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) and agency. The NPPD Menu resides in Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) at the medical center level. This data is updated quarterly. Data is rolled up at each facility and transmitted to Hines. The data is then loaded into the Corporate Data Warehouse (CDW) from which data extracts are done. The data is also put into a ProClarity cube and is available to VA local, regional, and national managers online. National managers have the ability to properly monitor, oversee and manage the national program and regional managers are able to effectively manage their respective areas using this tool. The primary purpose of this database is to provide financial and clinical oversight of the Prosthetics program and is used primarily by the Prosthetics and Sensory Aids (PSA) including VISN staff, VISN Prosthetics Representatives, Prosthetics Program Managers and other Prosthetics staff.