OBRA 1987 and the quality of nursing home care

Because minimum government standards for quality regulate only part of the market failure, they may have unintended effects. We present a general theory of how government regulation of quality of care may affect different market segments, and test the hypotheses for the nursing home market. OBRA 1987 was a sweeping government reform to improve the quality of nursing home care. We study how the effect of OBRA on the quality of nursing home care, measured by resident outcomes, varied with nursing home profitability. Using a semi-parametric method to control for the endogenous effects of regulation, we found that this landmark legislation had a negative effect on the quality of care in less profitable nursing homes, but improved the quality in more profitable nursing homes during the initial period after OBRA. But, this legislation had no statistically significant effect in the later period when the regulation was weakly enforced. JEL Classification I18 . I11     

Market competition and quality of care in the nursing home industry

Poor quality nursing home care is a problem in the United States, a problem that threatens the lives and well-being of one of our most vulnerable populations. The competitive structure of the nursing home market may influence the strategies and behaviors nursing homes pursue to capture the resources they need to operate. The goal of this study was to determine whether nursing home quality is related to the level and type of competition present in the market. This study specifically examined whether or not a relationship exists between structural, process, and outcome quality indicators, and (1) the availability of nursing home substitutes, (2) the threat of market entry, (3) the presence of rivalry in the market, and (4) the relationship between the nursing homes and their buyers and suppliers. This study examined secondary data from the Minimum Data Set Plus (MDS +), the On-line Survey Certification of Automated Records (OSCAR), the Area Resource File (ARF), and the Medicaid Reimbursement Survey. Weighted least squares regression analysis was utilized to estimate the relationships between the quality indicators and the different aspects of competition. This study found that some forms of competition are significantly related to nursing home quality performance. The availability of nursing home substitutes, the presence of active certificate of need laws, and the level of excess demand are associated with nursing home quality.     

Assessing nursing home care quality through Bayesian networks

This article demonstrates how Bayesian networks can be employed as a tool to assess the quality of care in nursing homes. For the data sets analyzed, the proposed model performs comparably to existing quantitative assessment models. In addition, a Bayesian network approach offers several uniques advantages. The structure and parameters of a Bayesian network provide rich insight into the multidimensional aspects of the quality of care. Bayesian networks can be used as a guide in implementing limited resources by identifying information that would be most relevant to an assessment. Finally, Bayesian networks provide a straightforward framework for integrating nursing home care quality research that is conducted in various locations and for various purposes.     

Mobile computing and the quality of home care nursing practice

We investigated the effects of the introduction of mobile computing on the quality of home care nursing practice in Québec. The software, which structured and organized the nursing activities in patients' homes, was installed sequentially in nine community health centres. The completeness of the nursing notes was compared in 77 paper records (pre-implementation) and 73 electronic records (post-implementation). Overall, the introduction of the software was associated with an improvement in the completeness of the nursing notes. All 137 nurse users were asked to complete a structured questionnaire. A total of 101 completed questionnaires were returned (74% response rate). Overall, the nurses reported a very high level of satisfaction with the quality of clinical information collected. A total of 57 semi-structured interviews were conducted and most nurses believed that the new software represented a user-friendly tool with a clear and understandable structure. A postal questionnaire was sent to approximately 1240 patients. A total of 223 patients returned the questionnaire (approximately 18% response rate). Overall, patients felt that the use of mobile computing during home visits allowed nurses to manage their health condition better and, hence, provide superior care services. The use of mobile computing had positive and significant effects on the quality of care provided by home nurses.     

Medicaid reimbursement and the quality of nursing home care.

An influential series of papers have found that an increase in Medicaid reimbursement decreases the level of nursing home quality in the presence of certificate-of-need (CON) and construction moratorium regulations. Using more recent national data, an outcome-oriented measure of quality, and an alternative methodology, this study finds a positive, albeit small, effect of reimbursement on quality. Although this paper does find some evidence of excess demand within the market for nursing home care, this new finding is attributed to a decline in nursing home utilization over the last two decades.     

Relationship of nursing home staffing to quality of care

OBJECTIVE: To compare nursing homes (NHs) that report different staffing statistics on quality of care. DATA SOURCES: Staffing information generated by California NHs on state cost reports and during onsite interviews. Data independently collected by research staff describing quality of care related to 27 care processes. STUDY DESIGN: Two groups of NHs (n=21) that reported significantly different and stable staffing data from all data sources were compared on quality of care measures. DATA COLLECTION: Direct observation, resident and staff interview, and chart abstraction methods. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Staff in the highest staffed homes (n=6), according to state cost reports, reported significantly lower resident care loads during onsite interviews across day and evening shifts (7.6 residents per nurse aide [NA]) compared to the remaining homes that reported between 9 to 10 residents per NA (n=15). The highest-staffed homes performed significantly better on 13 of 16 care processes implemented by NAs compared to lower-staffed homes. CONCLUSION: The highest-staffed NHs reported significantly lower resident care loads on all staffing reports and provided better care than all other homes.     

Reporting quality of nursing home care to consumers: the Maryland experience.

OBJECTIVE: To design and implement a reporting system for quality of long-term care to empower consumers and to create incentives for quality improvement. To identify a model to approach this technically and politically difficult task. APPROACH: Establishment of a credible and transparent decision process using a public forum. Development of the system based on: (1) review of the literature and existing systems, and discussions with stakeholders about strengths and weaknesses; (2) focus on consumer preferences in the design; and (3) responsiveness to industry concerns in the implementation. LESSONS LEARNED: None of the existing systems appeared to be a suitable model. We decided to develop an entirely new system based on three key design principles that allowed us to tailor the system to consumer needs: (1) designing a decision tool rather than a database; (2) summarizing rather than simplifying information; and (3) accounting for the target audience in the creative execution. Industry concerns focused on the burden of the system, the potential for errors, and the possible communication of a negative impression of the industry. As methodological and data limitations prevented us from resolving those concerns, we addressed them by using cautionary language in the presentation and by making a commitment to incorporate improvements in the future. All stakeholders regarded the final design as an acceptable compromise. CONCLUSIONS: Despite its potentially controversial nature and many methodological challenges, the system has been well received by both the public and the industry. We attribute this success to two key factors: a collaborative decision process, in which all critical design and execution choices were laid out explicitly and debated with stakeholders in a public forum, and realism and honesty regarding the limitations of the system.     

Patient outcome as a measure of quality of nursing home care.

One thousand males transferred from a general medical hospital into 40 community nursing homes were classified by their physicians as to expectations of outcome within six months and measured on physical functioning at the time of their transfer. They were followed up six months later and retested on functional status. Subjects were classified on follow-up as improved, the same deteriorated, or dead. They were also classified as discharged from the nursing home, still in the home, or readmitted to the hospital. Nursing homes were measured every six months on structural variables. Outcomes of the patients were related to the nursing home characteristics by multivariate analysis of variance, controlling for expected outcome, age, and diagnoses of cancer and chronic brain disease. Homes with more RN hours per patient were associated with patients being alive, improved, and discharged from the home. Better ratings on meal services were related to being alive and improved. A higher professional staff-to-patient ratio, better medical records, and more services were related to being discharged from the nursing home.     

Modeling the outcomes of nursing home care

In this exploratory analysis using data on 290 patients, we use regression analysis to model patient outcomes in two Veterans Administration nursing homes. We find resource use, as measured with minutes of nursing time, to be associated with outcomes when case mix is controlled. Our results suggest that, under case-based reimbursement systems, nursing homes could increase their revenues by withholding unskilled and psychosocial care and discouraging physicians' visits. Implications for nursing home policy are discussed.     

What matters most to nursing home elders: quality of life in the nursing home

ObjectiveA growing number of nursing homes across the country are embarking on culture change transformations that focus on maximizing elder residents’ quality of life (QOL). Challenges to culture change implementation include the wide range of possible interventions as well as a lack of research-based evidence to guide these choices. The purpose of this study was to determine those components of nursing home QOL that are associated with elder satisfaction so as to provide direction in the culture change journey.DesignA cross-sectional study using a survey administered face-to-face.SettingThree large urban nursing homes within a long term care system in New York State.ParticipantsSixty-two elder nursing home residents participated in face-to-face interviews. All elders had resided in their nursing communities for at least 3 months before participation.MeasurementsThe survey included the Quality of Life Scales for Nursing Home Residents, which examines elder QOL in 11 domains: autonomy, dignity, food enjoyment, functional competence, individuality, meaningful activity, physical comfort, privacy, relationships, security, and spiritual well-being. Elder satisfaction with the nursing home and nursing home staff were also examined.ResultsAfter accounting for cognitive and physical functioning, among the QOL domains, dignity, spiritual well-being, and food enjoyment remained predictors of overall nursing home satisfaction. Additionally, dignity remained a significant predictor of elder satisfaction with staff.ConclusionThese results provide one possible path in the culture change journey based on empirical findings.     

Organizing for nursing home quality

This article explores the relationship between job, work group, and organizational design and the quality of nursing home care. Contingency theorists contend that effective organizations develop structures that support the nature of their production processes and complement their environment. Within the same facility, units with differing care requirements should be structured differently to achieve quality outcomes. Efforts to improve quality can be integrated through the practice of total quality management and facilitated by using the Health Care Financing Administration Minimum Data Set.     

Driven to tiers: socioeconomic and racial disparities in the quality of nursing home care

Nursing home care is currently a two-tiered system. The lower tier consists of facilities housing mainly Medicaid residents and, as a result, has very limited resources. The nearly 15 percent of U.S. nonhospital-based nursing homes that serve predominantly Medicaid residents have fewer nurses, lower occupancy rates, and more health-related deficiencies. They are more likely to be terminated from the Medicaid/Medicare program, are disproportionately located in the poorest counties, and are more likely to serve African-American residents than are other facilities. The public reporting of quality indicators, intended to improve quality through market mechanisms, may result in driving poor homes out of business and will disproportionately affect nonwhite residents living in poor communities. This article recommends a proactive policy stance to mitigate these consequences of quality competition.