Assignment Title - Nursing Home Compare Portal - Evaluating the Data Available to the Public - this is a new assignment for this class and reflects the growing importance of this web based tool.

Purpose and Explanation of Assignment:

Now that we have completed Regulation and Quality Management (Chapter 6,9,10,11,19 in the text, and the NY Times article, "Medicare Rating System Allows Nursing Homes to Game the System"), we will examine how they are applied and made available to the public through the Nursing Home Compare Portal.

To comply with OBRA 1987, CMS created a website (www.medicare.gov) and portal (Nursing Home Compare) that provides data and information for every nursing home that operates in the United States.  This data is available to everyone.  To help consumers understand the data, The Federal Government uses a Five (5) Star evaluation summary since this concept is familiar to most consumer (Five Star designation is the best, One Star is the worst). The information included on the portal is:  general characteristics about the facility (bed size, auspices), results from government inspections, staffing levels for RNs, LPNs and CNAs, and clinical outcome measure (Quality Indicators).  Staffing levels and Quality Indicators include state and federal averages for comparison purposes.  It is important for nursing home administrator to be familiar with the data posted in the Portal, since it is available to consumers, managed care organizations, consumer groups and competitors.  Nursing home administrators should be able to manage this data.  This included addressing and negative outcomes reported, communication with the residents, their families and the public, and Quality/Process Improvement activities addressing the negative outcomes reported

Assignment

Students are to select one (1) facility using the Nursing Home Compare Portal (use a local zip code to pick the facility to review).  Using the data available, assess this facility.  The evaluation should: 

• Describe general characteristics (i.e.: this is a 200 bed not profit facility operating in Brooklyn)
• Discuss recent inspections and issue (deficiencies) identified
• Discuss staffing levels compared to state and federal averages.
• Discuss Quality Indicators compared to state and federal averages
• Review how they impact the Five Star rating
• If you were the nursing home administrator, how would you view these results? Explain your conclusion. Prioritize any activities you would want to implement and explain why. Be realistic in your recommendations, keeping in mind that there are always limited financial resource available

Students will go to the Discussion Board entitled, Nursing Home Compareand create a thread for your assessment.  You will then comment on two other threads from you classmates.