INHE-2
Improving Nursing Home Enforcement – Phase 2

Funded by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Project Period: 10/03 - 9/08

Summary/Abstract

Objective: This contract is directed toward improving the effectiveness of State Survey Agency (SA) performance. One quantitative analysis examines the impact of enforcement on resident outcomes, a fundamental analysis that heretofore has not been subject to empirical investigation because we have not had adequate measures of enforcement. A qualitative case study examines the impact of enforcement on provider care processes. Still another analysis examines survey agencies’ response to complaints with the objective of generating a more standardized system across states. A subsequent modification to this contract added another focus on SA activities related to abuse: the use of criminal background checks for screening long-term care employees. Subsequent modifications focused on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of SA performance, developing SA performance measures for improving nursing aide training oversight, analysis of linked data files relating to long-stay nursing home outcomes, and developing measures for monitoring both nursing facility performance and SA performance.

All of the diverse empirical findings from this contract as well as other relevant investigations will be synthesized in order to identify policy issues and options for improving SA performance.

Key Staff: Andy Kramer, Meg Kaehny, Ron Fish, Gene Nuccio, Murray Cote, Danielle Holthaus

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