In 2014, The New York Times reported that nursing facilities were gaming the Five-Star Quality Rating System on Nursing Home Compare and that “even nursing homes with a history of poor care rate highly in the areas that rely on self-reported … [Read more...] about Don’t be Fooled by the Federal Nursing Home Five-Star Quality Rating System
Quality of Care
Proper Use of Electronic Health Records Could Enhance Patient Care
If properly utilized, Electronic Health Records (EHR) could increase the quality of care for Medicare’s beneficiaries and lower program costs. EHRs provide the possibility of easy transfer of information between providers, and better patient … [Read more...] about Proper Use of Electronic Health Records Could Enhance Patient Care
Medicare’s Value-Based Purchasing Program for Hospitals: Paying More to Low-Cost Hospitals That Provide Low Quality Care
In 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced expansion of Medicare’s Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program for acute care hospitals. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, and as mandated by Congress in the Affordable … [Read more...] about Medicare’s Value-Based Purchasing Program for Hospitals: Paying More to Low-Cost Hospitals That Provide Low Quality Care
New Report Highlights National Epidemic of Medical Errors
By Cynthia Ronzio, Public Health Consultant The British Medical Journal (BMJ) recently published a highly controversial and alarming study that claims that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the US.[1] The authors used … [Read more...] about New Report Highlights National Epidemic of Medical Errors
Reducing Hospital Readmissions by Addressing the Causes
Reports that 20% or more of unplanned hospital readmissions are avoidable has led to considerable interest in policymakers in reducing readmissions.[1] Actively reducing hospital readmissions is seen as a route to lower Medicare spending and … [Read more...] about Reducing Hospital Readmissions by Addressing the Causes
International Study: Privatization of Long-Term Care Facilities Does Not Lead to Greater Transparency or More Care
A comparison of the long-term care industry in California, Ontario (Canada), England, and Norway evaluates the extent to which ownership of nursing facilities has shifted from the public sector to private for-profit and not-for-profit companies, and … [Read more...] about International Study: Privatization of Long-Term Care Facilities Does Not Lead to Greater Transparency or More Care
RNs and CNAs Work Fewer Hours in Nursing Facilities that Serve Predominately Ethnic and Racial Minority Residents
A December 2015 Health Affairs study of freestanding Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) from 2001 thru 2011 found that registered nurses (RNs) were less likely to work at nursing homes with high concentrations of racial and ethnic minorities.[1] This … [Read more...] about RNs and CNAs Work Fewer Hours in Nursing Facilities that Serve Predominately Ethnic and Racial Minority Residents
Yet Again, Value-Based Purchasing Did Not Improve Quality
The federal government’s funding of a value-based purchasing (VBP) demonstration project in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program did not improve quality of care, as measured by the plans’ five-star quality ratings. The findings from this demonstration … [Read more...] about Yet Again, Value-Based Purchasing Did Not Improve Quality
Discharge Planning: Tips for Evaluating a Hospital’s Skilled Nursing Facility Placement Choices
Medicare beneficiaries often need care in a Medicare- participating skilled nursing facility (SNF) after an inpatient hospitalization. For these patients, hospitals are responsible for identifying skilled nursing facilities within the … [Read more...] about Discharge Planning: Tips for Evaluating a Hospital’s Skilled Nursing Facility Placement Choices
Advancing Excellence: Very Few Nursing Homes are “Full Active Participants” and Nearly Half of Them Provide Poor Care
In September 2006, the nursing home industry announced a voluntary quality improvement campaign – Advancing Excellence in America’s Nursing Homes.[1] The campaign, now in its ninth year and third phase, describes its mission: “to make nursing homes … [Read more...] about Advancing Excellence: Very Few Nursing Homes are “Full Active Participants” and Nearly Half of Them Provide Poor Care