Measurements and Rankings

Since January 2004, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been reporting on an Enhanced Set of Quality Measures that have been endorsed by the National Quality Forum (NQF), an organization that represents providers, consumers, purchasers, and researchers. Several of the initial quality measures remain unchanged, while others have been revised. In addition, several new clinical topics were added, providing a more comprehensive view of nursing home care. In all, the Enhanced Quality Measures include fourteen chronic care and five post-acute care measures and provide nursing homes with a readily available means to track and improve the quality of care.

In New York State and nationally, the focus Quality Measures for the Nursing Home Quality Initiative (NHQI) 8th Scope of Work (SOW) are the Chronic Care Measures for Pain, Physical Restraints, Depression, and High Risk Pressure Ulcers. The following graphs compare the New York State rates vs. the National rates for the Second Quarter of 2004 (2004Q2) through the First Quarter of 2007 (2007Q1).

Percentage of Residents with Chronic Pain

Percentage of Residents Physically Restrained

Percentage of Residents with Pressure Ulcers