Objective: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have recently begun publishing the Nursing Home Compare report card. The objective of this study was to examine the initial reactions of nursing homes to publication of the report card and to evaluate the impact of the report card on quality-improvement activities.
Methods: We conducted a survey of a random national sample of 1,502 nursing home administrators; 724 responded. We analyzed frequency of responses to questions regarding views of the quality measures and actions taken.
Result: A model of nursing homes' behavior predicted that the report card would provide an incentive for facilities to improve quality. A majority of facilities (69%) reported reviewing their quality scores regularly, and many have taken specific actions to improve quality. Homes with poor quality scores were more likely to take actions following the publication of the report card.
Discussion: These findings suggest that the Nursing Home Compare report card has the potential to positively affect nursing home quality.