Nursing homes’ publicly reported star ratings have increased substantially since the adoption of the Five-Star Quality Rating System, writes McKnight’s Long-Term Care News. However there has not been a corresponding drop in preventable hospitalizations, according to a new study published in the Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision and Financing which concludes that “teaching to the test” could be the reason. Researchers analyzed Medicare claims data from 2007 to 2010 to track the association between nursing homes’ ratings and the number of potentially preventable hospitalizations per 30 days. Researchers found that, before the Five-Star system began in 2008, there was a consistent relationship between star rating and hospitalization rates, with the higher-quality facilities demonstrating lower numbers of readmits. After the release in December 2008, however, the gradient between star rating and hospitalizations reduced.
Read more:
- Association Between 5-Star Nursing Home Report Card Ratings and Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations. Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision and Financing. July 20, 2018
- McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: https://www.mcknights.com/news/nursing-home-star-ratings-havent-brought-reduction-in-preventable-hospitalizations-study-finds/article/788166/