Improving the quality of nursing home care is important to elderly residents, families, providers, and regulators. Many nursing home providers use family and resident surveys to discover issues of concern, but have difficulty in finding and utilizing appropriate benchmarks.
This paper presents a secondary analysis of survey data from 13,882 familiy members of 306 Michigan nursing homes, sponsored by the Health Care Association of Michigan. Early reports suggested that region, rural versus urban, and size were important but possibly confounded factors in predicting overall quality. In the present analysis, we merge family survey data with town and zip code level census data to explore whether the following factors independently and significantly affected ratings of quality: size, rural or urban, region, income, education, per cent minority, association membership, chain membership, non profit status, hospital affiliation, frequency of visitation, and gender of respondent. These and other factors were used in a model to 'adjust' facility quality ratings.
Using statistical quality control charts, a comparison of adjusted and unadjusted ratings was produced to determine whether different facilities or quality issues would be targeted for improvement efforts. Additionally we discuss control theory as a promising approach to predicting the nursing home quality differences noted.
Learning Objectives: Attendees will learn: 1. Factors to take into account in interpreting nursing home quality ratings; 2. How statistical quality control charts can focus improvement efforts; and 3. Some policy implications for persons caring for the elderly in institutional settings
Keywords: Survey, Nursing Homes
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.