Nursing homes
Nursing homes that hired a certified medical director sent fewer residents back to the hospital, study finds
Researchers from the University of Rochester and Harvard compared 495 nursing homes that hired a certified medical director with about 11,800 that didn't and found modest drops in hospital use.
Key facts
- Study compared 495 homes that hired a certified medical director.
- Rehospitalizations fell 4.6% over four years.
- No change found in several other quality measures.
What happened
A study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, reported by McKnight's Long-Term Care News on November 4, looked at what happened after nursing homes hired a certified medical director, a physician with extra training and credentials in running medical care in long-term care. Every nursing home must have a medical director, but not all of them hold this certification.
The researchers, Brian McGarry of the University of Rochester and David Grabowski of Harvard Medical School, compared 495 facilities that hired a certified medical director with a matched group of more than 11,800 that did not, adjusting for staffing and how sick residents were. Facilities that made the hire saw a 4.6% decline in rehospitalizations over the following four years and a 2.7% reduction in hospitalizations over two years. The study found no significant differences in pressure ulcers, functional decline, restraint use or successful discharge home. The authors said the findings support policy efforts to strengthen medical director engagement and accountability.
What it means for families
Who leads medical care in a nursing home may matter, and it is a fair question to ask when you are choosing one for a parent.
The differences in the study were modest, so this is one factor to weigh alongside inspections, staffing and visits.
New York nursing home inspection results and staffing data are posted on Medicare's Care Compare site and the state health department's nursing home profiles.
What to do this week
- When touring, ask who the medical director is, whether they are certified and how often they are in the building.
- Ask how the home handles a resident who becomes sick at night or on weekends.
- Check the home's inspection history on Care Compare.
Sources
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