Which resource should a health information technician use first when designing a data collection form for acute-care hospital patients?

The Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set (UHDDS) is the appropriate resource to use first when designing a data collection form for acute-care hospital patients. UHDDS provides standardized data elements that are essential for collecting and reporting patient data in the acute care setting. It outlines the minimum set of data elements that hospitals must collect for each discharge, including patient identification, clinical data, and demographic details.

Utilizing UHDDS ensures that the form aligns with federal reporting requirements and promotes consistency in data collection across facilities, which is crucial for data analysis, quality control, and health outcomes research. This standardization also facilitates effective communication of patient information within the healthcare system and among stakeholders.

The other resources listed, while important in their contexts, do not specifically focus on the acute-care hospital environment in the way UHDDS does. ORYX is used for measuring and improving care quality, the UACDS is designed for ambulatory care data collection, and the MDS is mainly utilized for skilled nursing facilities and long-term care settings. Hence, starting with UHDDS provides the foundational data structure necessary for acute-care data collection.