National Quality Forum Endorses 21 New Measures for Nursing Homes

The National Quality Forum (NQF) has endorsed 21 measures in caring for both long-term residents and short-stay patients, to be used in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Nursing Home Compare Web site. The measures address falls, infections, pressure ulcers, and the general health of residents and patients.

In 2004, NQF endorsed an initial set of measures for publicly reporting care in nursing homes. With the completion of the current project, the 17 measures that were previously endorsed will be retired and, in some instances, replaced by the newly endorsed measures. These measures were recently retired in the transition to CMS’ updated data collection instrument, the Minimum Data Set 3.0 (MDS 3.0).

The endorsed measures are as follows:

1. Physical therapy or nursing rehabilitation/restorative care for long-stay patients with new balance problem (RAND)

2. Percent of residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury (long stay) (CMS)

3. The percentage of residents on a scheduled pain medication regimen on admission who report a decrease in pain intensity or frequency (short stay) (CMS)

4. Percent of residents who self-report moderate to severe pain (short stay) (CMS)

5. Percent of residents who self-report moderate to severe pain (long stay) (CMS)

6. Percent of residents with pressure ulcers that are new or worsened (short stay) (CMS)

7. Percent of high-risk residents with pressure ulcers (long stay) (CMS)

8. Percent of residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine during the flu season (short stay) (CMS)

9. Percent of residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine (long stay) (CMS)

10. Percent of residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine (short stay) (CMS)

11. Percent of residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine (long stay) (CMS)

12. Percent of residents with a urinary tract infection (long stay) (CMS)

13. Percent of low-risk residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder (long stay) (CMS)

14. Percent of residents who have/had a catheter inserted and left in their bladder (long stay) (CMS)

15. Percent of residents who were physically restrained (long stay) (CMS)

16. Percent of residents whose need for help with activities of daily living has increased (long stay) (CMS)

17. Percent of residents who lose too much weight (long stay) (CMS)

18. Percent of residents who have depressive symptoms (long stay) (CMS)

19. Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Nursing Home Survey: Discharged Resident Instrument (ARHQ)

20. Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Nursing Home Survey: Long-Stay Resident Instrument (ARHQ)

21. Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Nursing Home Survey: Family Member Instrument (ARHQ)

NQF is a voluntary consensus standards-setting organization. Any party may request reconsideration of the 21 endorsed recommendations, in whole or in part, by notifying NQF in writing no later than April 1.

For an appeal to be considered, the notification must include information clearly demonstrating the appellant has interests that are directly and materially affected by the NQF-endorsed recommendations and that the NQF decision has had (or will have) an adverse effect on those interests.

Click here to access the appeals form.

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