Improving Nursing Home Compare to Meet the Needs of Minority Populations

Brandeis University, Waltham MA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Elders and potential users of nursing home public report cards do not have uniform care needs or information preferences. Yet little is known about how information use, needs, and preferences vary across population groups. Further, no nursing home report cards present performance measures stratified by race/ethnicity. The goals of this study are to identify ways in which Nursing Home Compare (NHC) can be improved to better meet the needs and preferences of minority populations and to test NHC measure stratification by race/ethnicity. To this end, this study seeks to accomplish the following aims: 1 Collect feedback from minority elders, caregivers, and other stakeholders on their opinions of NHC and about how the report cards might be changed to better suit their needs and priorities; 2. Use existing data to create NHC performance measures stratified by population group and a set of related disparities measures and determine the statistical relevance and feasibility of such measures; 3. Determine whether different population members find measure stratification and disparities measures useful in seeking nursing home care. This study will focus on the nursing home public reporting needs and preferences of African American/black elders and Hispanic/Latino elders. Initial consumer feedback on needs and preferences will be collected through focus groups and interviews with elders and family members of these groups, in addition to non-Hispanic white elders and family members and discharge planners. Data from the Minimum Data Set regarding resident characteristics and outcomes will be used to create several forms of NHC performance indicators, stratified by population group, and a set of related disparities measures. Statistical testing and trends analysis will be conducted to ascertain the relevance and feasibility of stratifying measures. Finally, these measures will be presented to the different population group members to collect data on their opinions of the usefulness and value of such measures.