Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Experts Worry About Quality Of Care Problems When Nursing Home Staffing Levels Fall Short Of What CMS Expects
Modern Healthcare: Nursing Home Staffing Levels Often Fall Below CMS Expectations
Nursing home staffing levels are often lower than what facilities report, which could compromise care quality, new research shows. Self-reported direct staffing time per resident was higher than the CMS' payroll-based metrics 70% of the time, according to a new study published in Health Affairs. Staffing levels were significantly lower during the weekends, particularly for registered nurses. (Kacik, 7/1)
Knoxville News Sentinel: 11 Tennessee Nursing Homes On Federal List For Persistently Poor Care
Unreported falls. Unexplained bruises. Untreated bedsores. An overdose of insulin — 25 times the prescribed amount. A resident discharged to a hotel without meds, money, food, a phone — or a long-term care plan. These were violations at some of Tennessee's 11 most poorly performing nursing homes. (Nelson, 6/30)
In Case You Missed It: Check out KHN's series "Neglect Unchecked," which looks at why long-term care facilities, their owners and the government fail to protect residents. And use look-up tools to find out more about nursing home staffing levels and boomerang hospitalizations.
And in other news on quality —
Modern Healthcare: Hip, Knee Surgery Readmission Rate Improvement Slows Under CMS Program
The expansion of the CMS' long-standing readmissions penalty program to hip and knee replacement procedures didn't lead to significant reductions in 30-day return rates to hospitals, a new study finds. While readmission rates have declined for total hip and knee replacement surgeries, the most dramatic improvements happened before providers even knew the procedures were included in the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, according to the analysis published Monday in Health Affairs. (Castellucci, 7/1)
