National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
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- Surveys on Patient Safety Culture (1)
- Transitions of Care (3)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (1)
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
26 to 50 of 54 Research Studies DisplayedPerraillon MC, Konetzka RT, He D
Consumer response to composite ratings of nursing home quality.
Health care report cards are intended to address information asymmetries and enable consumers to choose providers of better quality. This study examined whether the form of the information mattered to consumers. The investigators concluded that the form of quality reporting mattered to consumers, and that the increased use of composite ratings was likely to increase consumer response.
AHRQ-funded; HS021877; HS021861; HS000084.
Citation: Perraillon MC, Konetzka RT, He D .
Consumer response to composite ratings of nursing home quality.
Am J Health Econ 2019 Spring;5(2):165-90. doi: 10.1162/ajhe_a_00115..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Quality of Care, Provider Performance, Quality Measures
Hanlon JT, Perera S, Drinka PJ
The IOU consensus recommendations for empirical therapy of cystitis in nursing home residents.
A 19-member panel of clinical pharmacists was convened for the Improving Outcomes of UTI Management in Long-Term Care Project (IOU) funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The objective is to reach consensus on a set of recommendations for the empirical treatment of cystitis in older nursing home residents with oral anti-infective medications. A comprehensive literature search was conducted and out of that 31 recommendations were created. There were two Delphi Survey rounds conducted and those recommendations were rated on a 5-point Likert scale. In the first round three recommendations reached consensus and in the second round an additional eight recommendations were agreed on.
AHRQ-funded; HS023779.
Citation: Hanlon JT, Perera S, Drinka PJ .
The IOU consensus recommendations for empirical therapy of cystitis in nursing home residents.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Mar;67(3):539-45. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15726..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Medication, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Evidence-Based Practice
Weech-Maldonado R, Pradhan R, Dayama N
Nursing home quality and financial performance: is there a business case for quality?
This study examined the relationship between nursing home quality and financial performance. The study found that the operating margin was lower in nursing homes that: reported higher LPN hours per resident day and higher RN skill mix (structure); higher use of catheters, lower pressure ulcer prevention, and lower restorative ambulation (process); and more residents with contractures, pressure ulcers, hospitalizations and health deficiencies (outcomes). The results suggested that there was a business case for quality, whereas nursing homes that have better processes and outcomes of care perform better financially.
AHRQ-funded; HS023345; HS013852.
Citation: Weech-Maldonado R, Pradhan R, Dayama N .
Nursing home quality and financial performance: is there a business case for quality?
Inquiry 2019 Jan-Dec;56:46958018825191. doi: 10.1177/0046958018825191..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Quality of Care, Healthcare Costs
Zuckerman RB, Wu S, Chen LM
The five-star skilled nursing facility rating system and care of disadvantaged populations.
AHRQ-funded; HS000029.
Citation: Zuckerman RB, Wu S, Chen LM .
The five-star skilled nursing facility rating system and care of disadvantaged populations.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2019 Jan;67(1):108-14. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15629..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Vulnerable Populations, Medicare, Elderly, Provider Performance, Quality of Care, Hospital Discharge, Disparities
Balentine CJ, Kenzik K, Chu DI
Planning post-discharge destination for gastrointestinal surgery patients: room for improvement?
Investigators compared short-term recovery for patients discharged to inpatient rehabilitation versus skilled nursing facilities after gastrointestinal surgery. They found that there was no difference in 30-day readmission rates, but post-discharge mortality was higher for patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities compared to inpatient rehabilitation.
AHRQ-funded; HS023009.
Citation: Balentine CJ, Kenzik K, Chu DI .
Planning post-discharge destination for gastrointestinal surgery patients: room for improvement?
Am J Surg 2018 Nov;216(5):912-18. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2018.05.004..
Keywords: Hospital Discharge, Surgery, Digestive Disease and Health, Rehabilitation, Nursing Homes, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Transitions of Care
Brauner D, Werner RM, Shippee TP
Does Nursing Home Compare reflect patient safety in nursing homes?
In this study the investigators compared nursing homes' performance on several composite quality measures from Nursing Home Compare, the most prominent recent example of a national policy aimed at improving the quality of nursing home care, to their performance on measures of patient safety in nursing homes such as pressure sores, infections, falls, and medication errors.
AHRQ-funded; HS024967.
Citation: Brauner D, Werner RM, Shippee TP .
Does Nursing Home Compare reflect patient safety in nursing homes?
Health Aff 2018 Nov;37(11):1770-78. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2018.0721.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Nursing Homes, Patient Safety, Provider Performance, Quality Measures
Joyce NR, McGuire TG, Bartels SJ
The impact of dementia special care units on quality of care: an instrumental variables analysis.
The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of care following admission to a nursing home (NH) with and without a dementia special care unit (SCU) for residents with dementia. The investigators found that facilities with an SCU provided better quality of care as measured by several validated quality indicators. The authors suggested that given the aging population, policies to promote the expansion and use of dementia SCUs may be warranted.
AHRQ-funded; HS022998.
Citation: Joyce NR, McGuire TG, Bartels SJ .
The impact of dementia special care units on quality of care: an instrumental variables analysis.
Health Serv Res 2018 Oct;53(5):3657-79. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12867..
Keywords: Dementia, Elderly, Quality of Care, Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes
Alexander GL, Madsen R
A national report of nursing home quality and information technology: two-year trends.
The authors sought to answer these two research questions: What are the trends in information technology (IT) adoption in US nursing home facilities over 2 years? How are 2-year trends in IT adoption in US nursing homes related to nationally reported quality measures (QMs)? Using surveys of nursing home administrators and data from Nursing Home Compare, they concluded that multiple dimensions of IT sophistication influence QMs in every health care domain, providing an opportunity to design a reporting system that joins these important variables to be assessed on a national scale.
AHRQ-funded; HS022497.
Citation: Alexander GL, Madsen R .
A national report of nursing home quality and information technology: two-year trends.
J Nurs Care Qual 2018 Jul/Sep;33(3):200-07. doi: 10.1097/ncq.0000000000000328.
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Keywords: Health Information Technology (HIT), Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Quality of Care, Quality Measures, Provider Performance
Ye L, Richards KC
Sleep and long-term care.
This review describes the nature and consequences of sleep disturbances in long-term care (LTC), clinical assessment and management of sleep disturbances in LTC, and implications for future research and clinical practice.
AHRQ-funded; HS024330.
Citation: Ye L, Richards KC .
Sleep and long-term care.
Sleep Med Clin 2018 Mar;13(1):117-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2017.09.011..
Keywords: Quality of Care, Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes, Sleep Problems
Ryskina KL, Konetzka RT, Werner RM
Association between 5-Star nursing home report card ratings and potentially preventable hospitalizations.
The goal of this study was to test whether the improvements in nursing homes’ 5-star ratings were correlated with reductions in rates of hospitalization; the researchers’ hypothesis was that increased attention to ratings motivated nursing homes to make changes to improve ratings but did not affect hospitalization rate, resulting in a weakened association between ratings and hospitalizations. 2007-2010 Medicare hospital claims and nursing home clinical assessment data were used to compare the correlation between nursing homes’ ratings and hospitalization rates. Correlation weakened slightly after the ratings became publicly available. The researchers conclude that improvements in nursing home ratings after the release of Medicare's 5-star rating system were not accompanied by improvements in a broader measure of outcomes for post-acute care patients and, although this dissociation may be due to additional factors, the 5-star ratings became less meaningful as an indicator of nursing home quality for these patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS021861.
Citation: Ryskina KL, Konetzka RT, Werner RM .
Association between 5-Star nursing home report card ratings and potentially preventable hospitalizations.
Inquiry 2018 Jan-Dec;55:46958018787323. doi: 10.1177/0046958018787323..
Keywords: Elderly, Nursing Homes, Medicare, Quality Indicators (QIs), Provider Performance, Quality Measures, Hospitalization, Quality of Care
Hefele JG, Ritter GA, Bishop CE
Examining racial and ethnic differences in nursing home quality.
The authors measured within-facility differences for a range of publicly reported nursing home quality measures. They found that, on average, care is delivered equally across all racial/ethnic groups in the same nursing home. They concluded that nursing home providers should attempt to identify racial/ethnic within-facility differences in care.
AHRQ-funded; HS021891.
Citation: Hefele JG, Ritter GA, Bishop CE .
Examining racial and ethnic differences in nursing home quality.
Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf 2017 Nov;43(11):554-64. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjq.2017.06.003.
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Keywords: Disparities, Quality of Care, Nursing Homes, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Public Reporting
Lindquist LA, Miller RK, Saltsman WS
SGIM-AMDA-AGS consensus best practice recommendations for transitioning patients' healthcare from skilled nursing facilities to the community.
The authors assembled a cross-cutting team of experts representing primary care physicians (PCPs), home care physicians, physicians who see patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNF physicians), skilled nursing facility medical directors, human factors engineers, transitional care researchers, geriatricians, internists, family practitioners, and three major organizations: AMDA, SGIM, and AGS. This team identified issues and developed best practices perceived as feasible for SNF physician and PCP practices to accomplish.
AHRQ-funded; HS022916.
Citation: Lindquist LA, Miller RK, Saltsman WS .
SGIM-AMDA-AGS consensus best practice recommendations for transitioning patients' healthcare from skilled nursing facilities to the community.
J Gen Intern Med 2017 Feb;32(2):199-203. doi: 10.1007/s11606-016-3850-8.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes, Primary Care, Transitions of Care
Wang Y, Pandolfi MM, Fine J
Community level association between home health and nursing home performance on quality and hospital 30-day readmissions for Medicare patients.
Using CMS data from 2010 to 2012, the researchers evaluated whether community-level home health agencies and nursing home performance is associated with community-level hospital 30-day all-cause risk-standardized readmission rates for Medicare patients. They found that increasing nursing home performance by one star for all of its 4 measures and home health performance by 10 points for all of its 6 measures is associated with decreases in community-level risk-standardized readmission rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS023000.
Citation: Wang Y, Pandolfi MM, Fine J .
Community level association between home health and nursing home performance on quality and hospital 30-day readmissions for Medicare patients.
Home Health Care Manag Pract 2016 Nov;28(4):201-08. doi: 10.1177/1084822316639032.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Hospital Readmissions, Home Healthcare, Nursing Homes, Provider Performance
Schapira MM, Shea JA, Duey KA
The Nursing Home Compare report card: perceptions of residents and caregivers regarding quality ratings and nursing home choice.
The researchers evaluated the perceived usefulness of publicly reported nursing home quality indicators. They found that star ratings, clinical quality measures, and benchmarking information were salient to decision making, with preferred formats varying across participants. Participants desired additional information on the source of quality data. Confusion was evident regarding the relationship between domain-specific and overall star quality ratings.
AHRQ-funded; HS02861.
Citation: Schapira MM, Shea JA, Duey KA .
The Nursing Home Compare report card: perceptions of residents and caregivers regarding quality ratings and nursing home choice.
Health Serv Res 2016 Jun;51 Suppl 2:1212-28. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12458.
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Keywords: Nursing Homes, Quality Indicators (QIs), Patient Experience, Patient Experience, Quality of Care
Konetzka RT, Perraillon MC
Use of Nursing Home Compare website appears limited by lack of awareness and initial mistrust of the data.
The researchers used a qualitative assessment of how consumers select nursing homes and of the role of information about quality, using semistructured interviews of people who recently placed a family member or friend in a nursing home. They found that consumers had a positive reaction when shown Nursing Home Compare; however, its use appeared to be limited by lack of awareness and, to some extent, initial lack of trust of the data.
AHRQ-funded; HS021877.
Citation: Konetzka RT, Perraillon MC .
Use of Nursing Home Compare website appears limited by lack of awareness and initial mistrust of the data.
Health Aff 2016 Apr;35(4):706-13. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1377.
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Keywords: Nursing Homes, Public Reporting, Web-Based, Quality of Care, Education: Patient and Caregiver
Mukamel DB, Amin A, Weimer DL
When patients customize nursing home ratings, choices and rankings differ from the government's version.
Report cards currently published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offer composite quality measures, such as the one featured on the Nursing Home Compare website. Nursing Home Compare Plus is an alternative that allows patients and their families to create their own composite scores based on their own preferences and medical needs. When comparing Nursing Home Compare Plus to Medicare's five-star ratings, we found only minimal agreement on ranking of nursing homes.
AHRQ-funded; HS021844.
Citation: Mukamel DB, Amin A, Weimer DL .
When patients customize nursing home ratings, choices and rankings differ from the government's version.
Health Aff 2016 Apr;35(4):714-9. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1340.
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Keywords: Nursing Homes, Quality of Care, Quality Indicators (QIs), Patient Experience, Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS)
Mukamel DB, Ye Z, Glance LG
Does mandating nursing home participation in quality reporting make a difference? Evidence from Massachusetts.
This study investigated one of the mechanisms that may detract from the effectiveness of quality report cards: voluntary versus mandatory participation of nursing homes in public quality reporting. It found that once reporting became mandatory, nonvolunteers improved more than volunteers in all but 2 staffing measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS021844.
Citation: Mukamel DB, Ye Z, Glance LG .
Does mandating nursing home participation in quality reporting make a difference? Evidence from Massachusetts.
Med Care 2015 Aug;53(8):713-9. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000000390..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Public Reporting, Provider Performance, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Elderly
Konetzka RT, Grabowski DC, Perraillon MC
Nursing home 5-star rating system exacerbates disparities in quality, by payer source.
The researchers examined how the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services’ five-star rating system for nursing homes has affected residents who are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid (“dual eligibles”). They found that by 2010 the increased likelihood of choosing the highest-rated homes was substantially smaller for dual eligibles than for non–dual eligibles.
AHRQ-funded; HS021877.
Citation: Konetzka RT, Grabowski DC, Perraillon MC .
Nursing home 5-star rating system exacerbates disparities in quality, by payer source.
Health Aff 2015 May;34(5):819-27. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2014.1084..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Medicare, Medicaid, Quality of Care
Abrahamson K, Miech E, Davila HW
Pay-for-performance policy and data-driven decision making within nursing homes: a qualitative study.
The researchers explored ways in which data were collected, thought about and used by nursing home employees as a result of participation in a pay-for-performance (P4P) program. Their findings indicated that participants in the Minnesota Performance-based Incentive Payment Program’s quality improvement (QI) projects perceived a change in the rate and manner in which they gathered, used, and considered data in their QI decisions.
AHRQ-funded; HS018464
Citation: Abrahamson K, Miech E, Davila HW .
Pay-for-performance policy and data-driven decision making within nursing homes: a qualitative study.
BMJ Qual Saf. 2015 May;24(5):311-7. doi: 10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003362..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Payment, Provider Performance, Shared Decision Making, Policy, Quality Improvement, Quality of Care
Hakkarainen TW, Ayoung-Chee P, Alfonso R
Structure, process, and outcomes in skilled nursing facilities: understanding what happens to surgical patients when they cannot go home. A systematic review.
This systematic review of current literature surrounding the structural, process of care, and outcomes measurement for patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) found that the role of the care setting and care delivery in contributing to outcomes has not been well-studied. In particular, there was very little published information addressing surgical or trauma patients discharged to SNFs.
AHRQ-funded; HS020025
Citation: Hakkarainen TW, Ayoung-Chee P, Alfonso R .
Structure, process, and outcomes in skilled nursing facilities: understanding what happens to surgical patients when they cannot go home. A systematic review.
J Surg Res. 2015 Feb;193(2):772-80. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2014.06.002..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Outcomes, Surgery, Quality of Care
Hwang D, Teno JM, Clark M
Family perceptions of quality of hospice care in the nursing home.
The investigators examined bereaved family members' perceptions of nursing home-hospice collaborations in terms of what family members believe went well or could have been improved. The focus group participants identified three major aspects of collaboration as important to care delivery: knowing who (nursing home or hospice) is responsible for which aspects of patient care, concern about information coordination between the nursing home and hospice, and the need for hospice to advocate for high-quality care rather than their having to directly do so on behalf of their family members. These concerns have been incorporated into the revised Family Evaluation of Hospice Care, a post-death survey used to evaluate quality of hospice care.
AHRQ-funded; HS019675.
Citation: Hwang D, Teno JM, Clark M .
Family perceptions of quality of hospice care in the nursing home.
J Pain Symptom Manage 2014 Dec;48(6):1100-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2014.04.003.
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Keywords: Care Coordination, Nursing Homes, Palliative Care, Quality of Care
Thomas KS, Rahman M, Mor V
Influence of hospital and nursing home quality on hospital readmissions.
The authors sought to determine whether the quality of the hospital and of the nursing home (NH) to which a patient was discharged were related to the likelihood of rehospitalization. They found that patients discharged from higher-quality hospitals and patients who received care in higher-quality NHs were less likely to be rehospitalized within 30 days. They concluded that the passage of the Affordable Care Act changed the accountability of hospitals for patients' outcomes after discharge, and that their study highlights the joint accountability of hospitals and NHs for rehospitalization of patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS000011.
Citation: Thomas KS, Rahman M, Mor V .
Influence of hospital and nursing home quality on hospital readmissions.
Am J Manag Care 2014 Nov;20(11):e523-31.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Hospital Readmissions
Arling PA, Abrahamson K, Miech EJ
Communication and effectiveness in a US nursing home quality-improvement collaborative.
The investigators explored the relationship between changes in resident health outcomes, practitioner communication patterns, and practitioner perceptions of group effectiveness within a quality-improvement collaborative of nursing home clinicians. They found that reductions in fall rates were highest in facilities where respondents experienced the highest levels of communication with collaborative members outside of scheduled meetings. Clinician and practitioner observations were discussed.
AHRQ-funded; HS018464.
Citation: Arling PA, Abrahamson K, Miech EJ .
Communication and effectiveness in a US nursing home quality-improvement collaborative.
Nurs Health Sci 2014 Sep;16(3):291-7. doi: 10.1111/nhs.12098.
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Keywords: Communication, Falls, Nursing Homes, Quality of Care, Prevention, Quality Improvement
Abrahamson K, Mueller C, Davila HW
Nurses as boundary-spanners in reducing avoidable hospitalizations among nursing home residents.
The researchers interviewed 76 nurses working at 38 nursing homes that were implementing quality improvement projects to reduce avoidable hospitalizations. They explored the role of the nurse as boundary-spanner between the organizational goals of the nursing home and external stakeholder systems and how that influences the nursing staff experience.
AHRQ-funded; HS018464
Citation: Abrahamson K, Mueller C, Davila HW .
Nurses as boundary-spanners in reducing avoidable hospitalizations among nursing home residents.
Res Gerontol Nurs. 2014 Sep-Oct;7(5):235-43. doi: 10.3928/19404921-20140519-01..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Elderly, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement
Huybrechts KF, Gerhard T, Franklin JM
Instrumental variable applications using nursing home prescribing preferences in comparative effectiveness research.
The objective of this study was to explore the presence of unexplained between-nursing home (NH) variation in prescribing and to empirically evaluate the validity of instruments based on NH prescribing preference. High-prescribing and low-prescribing nursing homes differed by a factor of 2. There was no evidence that instrument status was associated with markers of nursing home quality of care.
AHRQ-funded; 290200500161; HS021112
Citation: Huybrechts KF, Gerhard T, Franklin JM .
Instrumental variable applications using nursing home prescribing preferences in comparative effectiveness research.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2014 Aug;23(8):830-8. doi: 10.1002/pds.3611..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Comparative Effectiveness, Medication, Quality of Care