A new reporting tool from LeadingAge could help providers better understand the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Five-Star Quality Rating system, and improve their own quality of care.
The analysis tool, part of the LeadingAge member Insights program, gives quarterly reports on specific facilities and areas where they should focus improvement efforts in order to increase their star rating. The reports include information about the main components of the Five-Star rating, including the facility’s last three health inspections, staffing hours per resident day and its rating on 11 quality measures.
The reports also include an interactive staffing tool where nursing homes can input Resource Utilization Groups data and staffing hours to calculate how changes in resident case mix and staffing hours could impact their rating.
“While we don’t believe the CMS 5-Star system has yet been perfected to provide the most accurate scoring, we understand that it is the most-recognized system for assessing a nursing home,” wrote LeadingAge President and CEO Larry Minnix. “These new reports will help nursing homes better understand what criteria CMS is using when assigning a star rating, and then use that information to focus on improvement efforts.”
