Born from Crisis: The Evolution of interRAI and Its Relevance to Today’s Healthcare Challenges

Fragmented healthcare systems worldwide struggle to support patient populations with complex health and social needs. System integration requires a standardized clinical health information system to better care for these populations. This review describes how interRAI systems evolved into powerful solutions to support healthcare system integration. In response to a care quality crisis in long-term care homes in the United States, Congress mandated a standardized Minimum Data Set (MDS) from which multiple outputs were derived to support care planning, care quality, and case-mix assessment. This work drew international attention, leading to the creation of interRAI. Three decades of extensive international research, stakeholder engagement, and implementation have led to the creation of comprehensive cross-sectoral assessment systems for diverse populations, including older adults, mental health patients, and children and youth. The interRAI assessment systems, widely used in Canada and internationally, constitute comprehensive clinical assessment systems capable of supporting health system integration.