A Web-based grading system has been found to improvecertain aspects of nursing home care. Researchers recently examined resultsfound on the Nursing Home Compare portion of www.medicare.gov and foundimprovements in instances of physical restraint and short-term pain.
There were, however, no improvements in other facets ofcare, including percentages of those able to perform activities of daily livingand those with new infections or pressure ulcers, said researcher Dana Mukamel,Ph.D., of the Center for Health Policy Research and the Department of Medicineat the University of California, Irvine. “This may reflect the longer leadtime required before improvement can be observed in these other areas ofcare,” she said.
Marilyn Rantz, Ph.D., R.N., a researcher in nursing homequality at the University of Missouri, agree: “The lack of improvement ininfections, pressure ulcers and the ability to perform living skills doesn’tmean the report cards aren’t useful.
“Report cards are not perfect, but we’ve got to havesome sort of measurement not only for the nursing home industry to use, but forconsumers to compare nursing homes,” she added. “This study providesevidence that quality report cards are useful tools.”
The study will appear online and in theupcoming issue of Health Services Research.
