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Designing a Report Card for Nursing Facilities: What Information Is Needed and Why

Correspondence: Address correspondence to Charlene Harrington, PhD, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 455, San Francisco, CA 94118. E-mail: Chas{at}itsa.ucsf.edu

Purpose:This article presents a rationale and conceptual framework for making comprehensive consumer information about nursing facilities available. Such information can meet the needs of various stakeholder groups, including consumers, family/friends, health professionals, providers, advocates, ombudsman, payers, and policy makers.Design and Methods:The rationale and framework are based on a research literature review of key quality indicators for nursing facilities.Results:The findings show six key areas for information: (a) facility characteristics and ownership; (b) resident characteristics; (c) staffing indicators; (d) clinical quality indicators; (e) deficiencies, complaints, and enforcement actions; and (f) financial indicators. This information can assist in selecting, monitoring, and contracting with nursing facilities.Implications:Model information systems can be designed using existing public information, but the information needs to be enhanced with improved data.