A quality report released Wednesday says that the country’s nursing facilities have shown measureable improvements in nine of 10 quality measures since 2009.
Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have improved in all short-stay measures, which include patient delirium and pain and pressure ulcers, and in all long-stay measures (pain, urinary tract infections and activities of daily living, for example) but one, physical restraint.
The report, released by the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care and the American Health Care Association (AHCA), is based on an analysis from independent researchers who used data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
“The report underscores our continuing commitment to advancing the development of key quality metrics and to publicly reporting our quality performance both good and bad,” said Alan Rosenbloom, president of the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care during a live web broadcast showcasing the report.
Rosenbloom noted that while the Alliance and AHCA are proud of the positive trends, everyone is aware that there are areas that still require attention and more improvement.
While the Alliance and the AHCA are using the report to trumpet positive trends in nursing home quality they are also using it to hammer home to policy makers the dangers of payment cuts and policy changes affecting SNFs.
[See also: CMS to cut Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities.]
“I think there’s good reason to be concerned that a lot of this progress in quality is in jeopardy as we’re looking at not only the cut backs that have been put in place over the last couple of years but as we look at the risks going forward over the next three months,” Rosenbloom said.
Follow HFN associate editor Stephanie Bouchard on Twitter @SBouchardHFN.